Houston Texans - AFC South, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects
Houston Texans
The Draft Was
... Weird early, but good as it went on. Duane Brown
would've been a bit of a reach in the second or third round,
much less the first, while Antwaun Molden is a very raw corner
prospect who's hardly a sure-thing. RB Steve Slaton could become
devastating in the Texan attack, while the final four picks, LB
Xavier Adibi in the fourth, DT Frank Okam in the fifth, S
Dominique Barber in the sixth, and QB Alex Brink in the seventh
were all nice, safe choice on productive college players. Best Value Pick: Xavier Adibi, LB Virginia Tech. 4th
Round. A bit too small and a bit too slow, he's still a very
good all-around player who could've gone much earlier without
anyone blinking. Biggest Reach: Duane Brown, OT Virginia Tech. 1st Round.
Brown could end up being a Pro Bowl performer and this still was
a weird pick. It's all about value. Brown's a project who
could've been had a round later. They Should've ... Stayed up high in the first round and
gotten an upgrade for one of the need spots. Yeah, Houston needs
plenty of players, but it also needs stars. Getting a high-end
OT or a top running back prospect, like a Jonathan Stewart,
might not have been as practical, but was needed for a franchise
in search of wins.
#
Pick
26
26
1st Round
(from Jacksonville)
Duane Brown, OT/OG Virginia Tech
The former tight end beefed up to well over 300 pounds without
losing much of his athleticism. However, he's not a pure pass
protector and had big problems with the better defensive ends.
He had a nice off-season and was good on the workout circuit,
and he has great upside, but he needs the time and the work to
develop. He could be a guard now, or a starting tackle in a few
years. CFN Projection: Fifth Round
CFN Position Rank: 12
16
79
3rd Round
Antwaun Molden, CB/FS Eastern Kentucky
Really fast with good size, he has the look of a starting
corner, and he proved in workouts to have the strength to match
up with any big receiver. While he has the athleticism and the
measurables that some of the top corner prospects would die for,
he's not a great football player. While someone will fall in
love with the size/speed ratio, he needs work before he's a
player. CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN
Position Rank: 22 (as a CB)
26
89
3rd Round (from
trade) Steve
Slaton, RB West Virginia
He should've stayed. A speed rusher who always produced gaudy
numbers, he gets it into gear instantly and can blast through
any hole. The problem is size and toughness in crunch time. He
went M.I.A. in some of West Virginia's biggest games and he
almost never had to power over anyone. He's a pure space runner
who can find the daylight and take off, but he'll have to prove
early on that he's the sophomore version and not the 2007 back
who was fine, but not as special. CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN
Position Rank: 12
19
118
4th Round
Xavier
Adibi, OLB Viginia Tech
A phenomenal athlete who might be a big undersized, built more
like a big safety than a tough outside linebacker, he was
tremendously productive and a great running mate next to Vince
Hall. He'll get killed by the more physical NFL blockers and
he's not going to hit anyone hard, but he has the make-up and
the speed to be a phenomenal cog in right system. He has the
potential to be a far better pro than he was in college, and he
was great at Tech. CFN Projection: Second Round CFN
Position Rank:13
16
151
5th Round
Frank Okam, DT Texas
He should've been a lot better than he actually was. A
three-years starter for the Longhorns, Okam was fine, but
nothing special even though he came up with a really nice senior
season. At 6-4 and 335 pounds he's the biggest of the top
tackles by far and he knows how to use it. even though he needs
to play stronger. The question will be how he plays when the
lights go on. Terrific in the off-season circuit, it left many
wondering where that player was for four years. CFN Projection: Late Third Round to Early
Fourth CFN
Position Rank: 10
7
173
6th Round Dominique
Barber, FS Minnesota
It's not his fault his team stunk. The brother of Dallas Cowboy
RB, Marion, Barber made 174 tackles over the last two seasons as
one of the Gophers' only playmakers. He timed a slow 4.68 and he
isn't great against the pass, but most of his errors and most of
his inconsistencies came from trying to do too much. No one else
on that D, especially in the front seven, did much of anything. CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN
Position Rank: 11
16
223
7th Round
Alex Brink, QB Washington State
Smart, tough, and experienced, he'll be a great practice player
and a fine No. 3 quarterback who'll generate buzz in the
preseason every year he sticks around. He's not huge and he
doesn't have the most efficient delivery, but he can bomb away
and put up good numbers at a high level. CFN Projection: Seventh Round or Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: 15
