Houston’s Draft
Who should the Texans choose?

Reggie Bush? Matt Leinart? Vince Young? Enough blah, blah, blah about who the Texans should or shouldn’t draft – let’s get to the bottom of this issue once and for all.

Reggie Bush – Yes, he won the Heisman, and yes, he was called “The Best Running Back College Has Ever Seen” once or twice. So why pass up on him? Because the Texans simply don’t need a running back. Domanick Davis is a very good rusher who would be even better if he had a good offensive line.

The Texans don’t need a better running back, they already have one that is good enough. The only knock on Davis is that he is prone to injury. But isn’t every college rookie a risk as well? I mean, you don’t just “get used” to playing against guys that are 50 pounds heavier than the linebackers you juked out in college. They are going to get you, and when they do, they’ll get you hard. It takes a few years to adjust, so Houston, leave it up to some other team to help Reggie adjust.

Matt Leinart – Great player right here. He is an excellent thrower who will hit you in your bread basket 50 yards downfield. But then again, so will David Carr. If Carr cannot get the ball to an open receiver, neither can Leinart. Leinart is one-dimensional; passing is his only thing. Running, not so much. For him to be successful, he is going to need a good line, like Peyton Manning. Now, when I say this, I’m not comparing him to Manning in terms of greatness or accomplishments, but the style of quarterback he is. Leinart is a guy who sits back there and will hit the receiver perfectly, if and only if he has enough time. With an offensive line like the one in Houston, sorry. No Leinart, either.

Vince Young – As a Longhorns fan, I may be a little biased here saying he is the best out of the three. But after that game in the Rose Bowl, you better have one heck of an argument to prove me wrong. He is so dynamic in that he is a thrower like Leinart, but a runner like the Steve McNair of old. He is not like Michael Vick. He does not run on every play. He can throw the ball. He is not as fast. He is bigger. He is not a Vick clone. Back on the subject, in a way Young would fit for the Texans because he has the scrambling ability to get out of the pocket and throw on the run, and he can dodge the blitz the horrible Texans offensive line lets in. But, a quarterback is not what the Texans need. They need a better offensive line, plain and simple.

Trading Down – This is exactly what Houston should do: trade down and get three or four good offensive linemen. None of the players listed above can be very successful without a solid offensive line. The Texans are a building team, and this is a great example of how one player can not do it all. If David Carr and Peyton Manning switched teams, you can bet the Texans would still finish dead last with the offensive line they have.

Well, that’s a wrap. Good luck to all your teams in picking the college star who is right for them in this year’s NFL draft.

 
Jonathan Shaffer follows all the football action in Texas, at both the pro and college levels. You can find him posting as UTLonghorns in the Cafe forums.
 

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