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With the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror we take the Houston Texans "Off The Clock" with pick-by-pick analysis, the Bible's take and our grade.
 (1-15) Brian Cushing, OLB (USC): The first USC linebacker came off the board with Cushing’s arrival in Houston. This pick may have been the worst kept secret in football, as the Texans had reportedly been interested in making Cushing their man for quite some time. Cushing joins DeMeco Ryans and bolsters the Texans inside/outside connection at linebacker. Teams will not be able to double and triple team Mario Williams now, as they must account for Cushing as well. As long as he can stay healthy, Cushing will provide a big boost to the Texans’ defense.
(2-46) Connor Barwin, DE (Cincinnati): The converted tight end is a relentless pass rusher with the speed to turn the corner and exceptional leaping ability to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. Barwin, however, is still quite raw and should be more of a situational player in the early going. The Texans could also look to use the Mike Vrabel clone as a fullback or tight end in certain packages. If he fulfills his athletic potential, Houston could have one of the more dynamic bookends in the NFL.
(3-77) Antoine Caldwell, C (Alabama): Continuing a third-round trend, this pick appeared to be a bit high for Caldwell. There were other players, either overall or at the center position that would have been better picks. To be fair, he is one of the six centers we view as a likely NFL starter down the road, so from that perspective it wasn't a terrible pick. Caldwell doesn’t possess much upside and he’s still a bit raw, but he’s a bulldog in the trenches and possesses solid leadership skills.
(4-112) Glover Quinn, CB (New Mexico): Some might move him to safety but the Texans will not do so, as they intend to use him a ton in nickel defenses. Quinn can be physically effective when jamming at the line or wrapping up a player in the open field. He also has good hands, which allow him to intercept some balls and break up passes he can’t steal. Quinn is also a willing special teams player who doesn’t dance. Instead, he looks to follow his lead blockers and get yardage, including a little extra when he bounces off would-be tacklers. He might lose out to taller NFL wide receivers and while he can wrap up a player for a tackle, he sometimes goes for the big hit instead.
 (4-122) Anthony Hill, TE (NC State): Hill is an outstanding blocker and will help keep Matt Schaub on his feet while carving out holes for Steve Slaton. He’s never going to replace Owen Daniels in the passing game, but for this offense, with its sack woes, a blocking tight end was dearly needed. While he is limited in the open field, the NC State product possesses reliable hands. (Pick From Minnesota)
(5-152) James Casey, TE (Rice): While they had just picked a tight end in round four, you cannot complain about the drafting of Casey who is as good a receiver as Hill is a blocker, maybe better. He probably won’t supplant Daniels any time soon, but he does give them a ton of options, be it in the Wildcat or two tight end sets. He’s an incredible athlete with outstanding hands, one who can leap to make a catch if he has to. He also runs solid routes and can work in traffic. Casey produced points catching, throwing, and running as an Owl.
(6-188) Brice McCain, CB (Utah): McCain will start out as a special teams player, but his athleticism and pure speed will likely have him vying for a spot in the secondary at some point. He’s not as tall as most would like in their corners, and had tons of talent around him in Utah, so he could be exposed a bit in Houston. He does possess an explosive burst out of his breaks and has very good speed and agility. There’s lots of upside here if he can overcome his size.
(7-223) Troy Nolan, S (Arizona State): Another prospect who should start out on special teams, Nolan can be a real ball-hawk at the safety position. Despite that, he has a habit of taking bad angles on the ball, sometimes loses track of the ball while blocking, and can be a tad overaggressive. Nolan is a heavy hitter and while he has some work to do to adapt to the NFL game, he has some nice upside.
Team Needs: CB, DE, OLB, RB, S, OG, WR
Needs Filled: Four out of seven
Bible’s Take: The Texans got nice value with a bunch of their picks, shoring up their secondary late with some good upside selections. James Casey could be a very nice value pick, even on the heels of their prior selection of Anthony Hill. Both picks filled specific needs. That being said, there were some holes in the battle plan. As much as the offensive line can always use help, they waited a bit too long to address the secondary. Whether the upside selections will help long term is hard to say and given the overall value of the draft class, waiting may have allowed them some flexibility to address other areas. Still, they ended up not addressing perhaps two of their bigger needs—a consistent wide receiver opposite Andre Johnson and a back to split time with Steve Slaton. While they have brought in some rookie free agents, one wonders if they might have been better served taking a corner earlier and then spending one of their fourths on a running back or project wide receiver.
Grade: B-
Photo Credit: College Press Box (USC, NC State)
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