Was Texans’ Draft a Boomer?

Rang: I think David Carr is the perfect #1 choice for the Texans. Not only am I very confident in his physical ability, I’ve been extremely impressed with his composure under all of the scrutiny. He handles the spotlight as well as any player I’ve ever seen. He and his family are class acts, and they will set the tempo of what I’m confident will be an organization built on class and success, both on and off the field.

HPF: What can we realistically expect from Carr in 2002?

Rang: The club is talking like he might start from day one, and if that is the case, you can expect moments of brilliance followed and preceeded by plenty of moments of confusion and/or inexperience. Palmer allowed (Tim) Couch to start from day one, and there are those in Cleveland who feel it stunted his development.

HPF: Jabar Gaffney was considered by many to be a mid first round talent — should Texan fans be concerned or grateful he fell to #33? Also, why have Florida receivers traditionally struggled on the next level, and will Gaffney suffer the same fate?

Rang: Grateful. A lot has been made of the "Florida flops" at receiver over the years, but I see this as a bit unfair.

These receivers are leaving a college passing attack more sophisticated than many of those used in the NFL. They are then drafted into programs looking for them to be the cure to poor passing attacks (New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, etc.) and that is not the type of players they were.

Gaffney is among the best athletes to don a Gator uniform (at receiver, at least) and has among the highest upsides of the receivers in this class. He is an excellent route runner, has great, natural hands, and can make plays after the catch. I am especially excited about his potential with the Texans, because he fell. He’ll come into camp with something to prove, and I think that will help him remain focused.

Having said that, Gaffney will suffer the same fate if the Texans don’t allow him to catch the ball in space. He needs to be able to run after the catch and be used creatively. If they expect him to be a 2-3 catch per game guy and block down the field, he could have some problems. If they use him aggressively, there is no telling what he could do with a quarterback blessed with a legitimate NFL arm.

HPF: OK, everyone’s screaming about the Chester Pitts pick in the second round — if possible, do your best to calm everyone down by telling us what Casserly and company might’ve seen in this big, raw kid to justify the selection.

Rang: Pure athleticism and upside. This is the kind of pick I was referring to earlier when I said that the club did an excellent job of finding players that need some refining but have excellent upsides.

You simply have to appreciate what this kid has been able to accomplish without playing high school football and walking on to the San Diego State program. He showed daily improvement at the Senior Bowl and just needs reps. I do think he was a bit of a reach, but he could be a real, real solid player down the line.

HPF: Would you agree Fred Weary, when healthy, has first round talent, and was his selection at #66 what they call a "value" pick?

First round talent may be stretching things a bit far, but he is a solid, solid talent and good value at #66. Injuries are an element of a player’s stock that must be factored into the equation, which is why he was available at this spot. I can tell you this: only two interior lineman at the Senior Bowl were more consistently effective than Weary: Andre Gurode and LeCharles Bentley, two 2nd round picks.

HPF: Beginning with the first pick of the fourth round, it seems the Texans made three consecutive picks that could pay big dividends: Jonathan Wells, Jarrod Baxter and Ramon Walker. What do you think of those three?

Wells will come in and immediately battle with James Allen to be the starter. He could easily prove to be the biggest statistical contributor to this club in 2003. Baxter isn’t the classic lead blocking fullback, but his running ability and receiving skills out of the backfield will make him an
intriguing weapon for the Texans.

Ramon Walker disappointed many with his speed in workouts and isn’t the most instinctive pass defender in the world at free safety, but his presence against the run and tenacity will certainly help add a sense of physicality and toughness in the Houston secondary. Besides, with cover corners like Coleman and Glenn, the Texans’ don’t necessarily need a great centerfielder, but more of a hitter at deep safety.

HPF: Are we crazy? Greg White seemed to be a big-time defensive playmaker at Minnesota — will he have any impact in 2002?

Greg White is a little bit of a one-dimensional player. He racked up some super stats for the Gophers over his career, including 12 sacks and 25 tackles for loss, despite only being a two year starter. That said, he is undersized and will get pushed off the line often. He will be protected a bit by the size and playmaking ability the Texans’ have inside at tackle, but is more of a situational pass rusher in my eyes than a fulltime performer.

HPF: Finally, never too early to start looking at next year’s draft: who are some top prospects for 2003 that might temp the Texans?

Obviously it is pretty difficult to speculate at this point who or what positions the Texans will be focusing on for next year’s draft. That said, despite addressing the defensive line in the 2002 draft, this will prove to be big team need in the future. There are some intriguing defensive lineman for next year’s draft, not the least of which is Penn State’s Jimmy Kennedy, Miami’s William Joseph, Florida’s Ian Scott, Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs, and Texas’ Cory Redding.

Wide receiver shouldn’t be a huge need, but the 2003 draft could be loaded with future stars like Charles Rogers (Michigan State), Kelley Washington (Tennessee), Andre Johnson (Miami), and, of course, Roy Williams (Texas).

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