Help on offense, via the NFL Draft, is incoming for the Texans...according to the experts.
As the calendar turns to April, the latest round of Mock Drafts--54 in all--is decidedly skewed towards Houston drafting either an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. 50 of those 54 (92.6%) mocks predicted the Texans will take an offensive player. Of the quartet that didn't, all four had Houston drafting a defensive tackle.
Two weeks ago in the Mock Draft Roundup, 4.0, Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons and Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka were both the most-mocked players to the Texans. This time, Simmons is the leader by one, as the left tackle went to Houston in 10 (18.5%) mock drafts.
Egbuka and Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, Jr. were right behind Simmons, as they were projected to the Texans in nine (16.7%) different mock drafts apiece.
With Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson going to the Texans in two different mocks, Ohio State was most-represented school in this round, as 38.9 percent of the mock drafts predicted a Buckeye to Houston at 25th overall. Texas was next with 22.2 percent of mocks predicting a Longhorn to the Texans.
The NFL Draft gets going Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay. The Texans own the 25th overall pick in the first round, and seven in all.
North Dakota State offensive lineman Gray Zabel was a popular choice as well: Zabel was mocked to Houston at 25th overall by seven separate mockers. Five other players were mocked to the Texans by more than one expert.
| MOCK DRAFT | TEXANS SELECTION |
|---|---|
| 1. ESPN (MATT MILLER) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 2. CBS SPORTS (KYLE STACKPOLE) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 3. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (BRANTLEY WEISSMAN) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 4. THE ATHLETIC (STAFF) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 5. NFL MEDIA (BUCKY BROOKS) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 6. ESPN (MEL KIPER, JR.) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 7. CBS SPORTS (MIKE RENNER) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 8. THE DRAFT NETWORK (RYAN FOWLER) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 9. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (TREVOR SIKKEMA | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 10. FOX SPORTS (JASON MCINTYRE) | OT JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE |
| 1. NFL MEDIA (ERIC EDHOLM) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 2. CBS SPORTS (JOSH EDWARDS) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 3. ATHLON SPORTS (LUKE EASTERLING) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 4. FANTASY LIFE (MATTHEW FREEDMAN) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 5. ESPN (MIKE TANNENBAUM) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 6. NFL MEDIA (DANIEL JEREMIAH) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 7. ESPN (JORDAN REID) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 8. NFL MEDIA (LANCE ZIERLEIN) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 9. THE DRAFT NETWORK (JUSTIN MELO) | OL KELVIN BANKS, JR., TEXAS |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (CHRIS TRAPASSO) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 2. SPORTING NEWS (VINNIE IYER) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 3. NEXT GEN STATS (MIKE BAND) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 4. 33RD TEAM (KYLE CRABBS) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 5. SHARP FOOTBALL ANALYSIS (RYAN MCCRYSTAL) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 6. CBS SPORTS (GARRETT PODELL) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 7. SHARP FOOTBALL (WARREN SHARP) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 8. ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 9. USA TODAY (TYLER DRAGON) | WR EMEKA EGBUKA, OHIO STATE |
| 1. DALLAS MORNING NEWS (CALVIN WATKINS) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 2. YAHOO! SPORTS (NATE TICE) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 3. CBS SPORTS (PETE PRISCO) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 4. FANTASY LIFE (THOR NYSTROM) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 5. FOX SPORTS (ROB RANG) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 6. NBC SPORTS BAYAREA (MATT MAIOCCO) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 7. THE ATHLETIC (DANE BRUGLER) | OL GRAY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA ST. |
| 1. NFL MEDIA (CHARLES DAVIS) | OL TYLER BOOKER, ALABAMA |
| 2. SHARP FOOTBALL (BRENDAN DONAHUE) | OL TYLER BOOKER, ALABAMA |
| 3. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (JONATHAN ALEXANDER) | OL TYLER BOOKER, ALABAMA |
| 4. SB NATION (JOSEPH ACOSTA) | OL TYLER BOOKER, ALABAMA |
| 1. FOX SPORTS (GEOFF SCHWARTZ) | OL JOSH CONERLY, JR. OREGON |
| 2. WALTER FOOTBALL (WALTER CHEREPINSKY) | OL JOSH CONERLY, JR. OREGON |
| 3. FOX SPORTS (JOEL KLATT) | OL JOSH CONERLY, JR. OREGON |
| 4. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (JACOB INFANTE) | OL JOSH CONERLY, JR. OREGON |
| 1. FOX SPORTS (RALPH VACCHIANO) | WR LUTHER BURDEN, MISSOURI |
| 2. NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA (DAVE ZANGARO) | WR LUTHER BURDEN, MISSOURI |
| 1. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (DALTON WASSERMAN) | WR MATTHEW GOLDEN, TEXAS |
| 2. PALM BEACH POST (JOE SCHAD) | WR MATTHEW GOLDEN, TEXAS |
| 1. THE RINGER (STAFF) | OL DONOVAN JACKSON, OHIO STATE |
| 2. THE ATHLETIC (NICK BAUMGARDNER) | OL DONOVAN JACKSON, OHIO STATE |
| WALTER FOOTBALL (CHARLIE CAMPBELL) | DL ALFRED COLLINS, TEXAS |
| NFL MEDIA (CHAD REUTER) | OL AIREONTAE ERSERY, MINNESOTA |
| FANTASY PROS (MATTHEW JONES) | DT KENNETH GRANT, MICHIGAN |
| HOUSTON TEXANS/FOOTBALL TAKEOVER (JOHN HARRIS) | DT DERRICK HARMON, OREGON |
| CBS SPORTS (RYAN WILSON) | DT WALTER NOLEN, OLE MISS |
