Texans All AccessA Hall of Famer joins show in studio | Texans All Access
What's happened? Everybody. Welcome to Draft Eve. Yes, the draft tomorrow night. Thankfully. Oh my god, let's get this thing going.
I am tired of hearing about the Texas trading up, trading out, or sticking and picking, like those are the three options and well they could do this, they could do that, or they could well, yeah, they could do any of those three things. So anyways, we'll take you through a show tonight that is going to be awesome. I'm your host, Jean Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. Drew Dordy will stop by the next segment as we do our in the Lab final mock draft.
It was awesome. We came out of there.
We felt really really good about what we did, and if the draft fell that exact way, we'd feel great about that. But we are going to kick off this show this evening with one of our favorites.
You got in the building at twenty twenty one, and I.
Could talk to this guy and about anything, it doesn't matter, music, haircuts, football, basketball, sports business. Frank Ross special teams coordinator seemingly knows it all. We loved having There was a big announcement this week about uh or actually I think it was the end of last week for Frank Ross.
He'll get into it.
We'll get into it right here as we catch up with the special teams coordinator.
D Sure my man, the boss, Frank.
Ross, Special teams coordinator Frank Ross with us in studio.
Coach, great to see him. Good see you guys.
All right, off season visit. We have a lot to get to. Okay, Hall of Fame. We got to get to that, all right. In fact, let's get to it first. John Carroll Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations the surprise video we made all of that.
What was your reaction to getting in? Thanks?
Oh, I'm super honored and excited. That was a very cool moment. Surprise for sure. You know, I've I've closed my yearbook, so and proudly I'm about the twenty twenty five Texans. Here comes coach Frank about the twenty twenty five Texas. But when it gets open and pride open again, incredible honor and really because like that's not a goal of mine, right, that wasn't ever a goal of mine. It's always cool, like I want to win games. Yeah, you know, we weren't the greatest team in generation of John Carroll Sports football when I was there, but had a lot of fun playing hard and it was cool to I guess to say, to be recognized in retrospect by peers or whoever else up there, and man, I love my school.
I'm proud. So it was great honor. Will there be a ceremony?
Will you get to be able to be with, you know, some of your former teammates on what's kind of that aspect?
Coach? Yeah, well half of our building. Yeah, John Carroll, you know, apparently celebrate Houston. They're all over the NFL, right, all of us.
No, you know, I hope by you know, maybe the football gods will will grace us with a bye week schedule. I think the ceremony, the actual induction ceremony will be in the fall sometimes, so we'll see.
I've got a story if I may.
Yeah, of course, how did I get my start in the NFL? Nick Cassio was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame at John Carroll when I was a junior And it was evening time, you know, a weekend, and uh, I put on a suit and tie and waited and I walked up and I said, he Nick, I'm Frank, I want to work in the NFL one day. Followed back on a few years later, you know, through that that communication and.
Connection, and then that's how it all started. So it was cool.
He must have been on a bye week in New England at the time. I don't necessarily know. If I get a chance to be up there, it would be really great if not. When we had this little surprise get together here with Nick, coach Dimiko, all the rest of the JCU.
Guys that here they are here, that was a cool moment Jasik room for everybody.
Yeah.
I mean he took up the team auditorium, you know.
Yeah, so wait what happened right after graduation? Was it right then that you went, how did that work for you?
Yeah? So that was a when I first met. That was my junior year played ball.
I did a fifth year year from a medical red shirt and played okay, started and tried.
To play in the NFL.
And they said, they looked at the stop watch and they said next. And then we went to uh uh spring practice and I don't have connection.
I don't have all the you know.
So we went to spring practice and I started coaching the receivers and got a call eventually to do the interview in the internship and got stuck on from there. So it was really I was in a semester of graduate school and then kind of took it over from there afterward. So it was midway through my second semester. I guess springtime for for that first opportunity and went right there.
I never looked back, So we may have asked you this before, but it's a good time to ask it. Had you not, Were you going to be a coach, no matter what, regardless of what happened coach or getting scouted or whatever, was that the plan, no matter what, like draft day Vonte mac no matter what, was that what you're gonna do?
Yeah?
And I it was always first play, Yeah, can I can I wind it even further back, always to be the second basement for the Cleveland Indians.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then that moved on. They said you can't even make the throat at first and second base, you know, you know, uh no, once they once it started being man, I was the extension of coach on the field as a high school.
Player, and then I moved forward and I was.
Just always something that I took to and I still have my goals set for the rest of my career, and it's yeah, I'm doing what I set out to do and love the game that I get to compete in.
So I always wanted to be a coach from from the jump.
So along those lines, bringing up playing a second base for the Cleveland Indians now the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Guardians.
Yeah, I'm being proper, that's right. How when you when we get into draft.
Stuff, for you just looking at players, how important is it that guys that you're looking at prospects you're studying have played multiple sports in your.
Eyes, man, I'm I am not a select sport raised advocate. I want figure it out like that's why football is unique. Yeah, he started playing football as a senior in high school. And you know, you look at the famous story of the boxer of Asilomachenko. He's he's a dancer. His dad wouldn't let him fight until he learned how to dance so he can get good feet, you know. So you just I love that about sport. To me, football, I want to see an aer athlete that can play basketball and hang in the air and contort right to reach back and get a rebound. I want to see you has space and awareness timing. I want to see a wrestler who has body position and like, to me, that is so important.
I am a big advocate for it.
If I'm going to be a major league pitcher, I probably need to be throwing the baseball from the age.
Of twelve and going to see a specialist.
But like you know, for this process, in this sport, the more you can do the better.
In my opinion, I'm one of those.
Of course, sure, yeah, you were a scout, So does that ever leave you? Your teams coordinator now? But does the scouting part of you never die?
I never. I love that.
I think it not only does it never leave me, I think it has served me and serves me daily and has served me well. You got to be a teacher to be a football coach. You're a teacher, You're a communicator, an educator. But your number one job when you are totally out of control, and when that is is I have zero control on Sundays at noon, my job is done right like within reasons, but they're out on the grass doing it. It is my number one job to put them in the right spot based on their skill sets. And abilities, So that is fitting the puzzle pieces together. I think that is where like, Okay, what can this player from Ohio State, from Texas, whatever school you're looking at, what can he do or can't he do? How do you see it fitting you? How do you see something he can do? Oh, let's you use that skill set?
Well.
I think it serves me to this day and will continue to serve me that. I like, I'm not the greatest scout as far as building a draft board, and I can't do that. I'll never claim to do that. It's not as intriguing to me to then say, all right, here are the players that you're given, what do they do? Well, let's put them in spots to use their skills. That to me is an extension of scouting.
Frank, it's been a pretty.
It's been an incredible offseason in a sense for you at the Hall of Fame and a lot of things you have going on. He's the sports words things like that, But I also know how you are. I know you care for your players. A ton John Weeks now moves on to San Francisco forty nine ers. Tucker comes in Andton comes in to be the long snapper, here.
I just I wouldn't mind. I would think a lot of people would.
Love to hear your thoughts about Weeks and what he meant to you, but also what we now have coming in behind him.
Yeah, it's it's not like it's the old saying. You don't replace a right, You don't replace it John Weeks. You just you figure out what you can do next type of situation. That's how much he's meant to this team, to the organization from his the man that he stood as and in front of our building for years setting the standards, showing up the pros, pro the consistency, the skill set on the field. Here's where I take it, the person off the field. Like I'm younger than John, So I come in here as a young coordinator in twenty twenty one, and I've got a guy who's who's you know, willing to work with me Like that meant a lot to me, allowing me to cut my teeth, if you will, when he's already had done it at the highest levels of the profession. So he means the world to me, He'll always mean the world to me, and I am forever a better coach and leader in my opinion, from working with John, especially on my first go around. You know, moving forward, it's just you know, it's football. Every year is a new year. You're gonna it does not matter the game is going to show up here in September. We're gonna be ready to go. And it doesn't matter what it constraints they put on you. You're gonna make it work. So we're gonna do just that. I'm excited. I'm excited for that opportunity and the challenge and and hopefully the guys are as well, like Okay, you don't have this player or that player, but you do have this new edition you know, uh, you know Nick Neeman and Traymon Smith and Justin and like, okay, how are they gonna like.
Right, That's where I get excited. And that's the daily challenge.
So you can't look past today, can't look past the workout today, the meeting today, whatever it may be, and we'll just do We'll do it one little step at a time.
Why is long snapping so difficult, Frank when you look at the ability to do it, I mean, ideally, if somebody else, a position player, could just do it really well, maybe that would be the best thing be the best thing spot. But you need a spot because it's so specific. What makes it so tough critical. We better have an audience on here today. That's that is nitty gritty football. Let's talk about snap.
Let's do it. This is where this is where the fans come right, you know.
So no, so it is so finite, it is so repeatable, and there's no room for air.
There is none.
So the first thing is is you better be snapping it on point every time both phases snap for long and short for field goal snaps, you better be on point.
There's no room for air.
You know when guys start rolling them back like they don't play in the NFL. So that's just you know, there's a lot of college kids that can snap.
Okay.
Then the second part comes in, are you strong, quick, big enough to get you back off the line of scrimmage, eyes up to then play football relative to the rush that we're gonna We're gonna pick up and then strike an anchor.
You ever blocked.
Then you go watchery in the a gape after snapping with your head down. It's a hard thing to do. Good luck, good luck. Better have a guy that can do it. That's the deal.
So you know, it's just it's it is a.
Very hard thing to do on repeat, and when do you get recognized?
When it goes bad, that's it. That's it.
So you know, it's just it's a thankless job and that person is special to your organization, and I'm excited to, you know, make it work for this year.
In front of somebody Texans Radio, we mentioned the long snappers' name on every snap, okay every snap weeks.
Would get I appreciate that.
So now I'm gonna sure he does not saying his name.
The odd about John, I mean, yeah, it's gonna be like saying La instead of San Diego.
Yeah, that's right, that's gonna happen. There's a lot there.
We give you a grace period for Freddy and slips, but then at some point.
You know, yeah, coach Mark, what to the annual meetings a few weeks ago? And I always think about you in those situations because there are gonna be some rule changes, and it feels like most of the rule changes are coming out of the kicking game in some way, shape or form. So the most recent one is the move of the touchback from the thirty to the thirty five it's five yards.
What does it matter? I got a feeling that matters a lot.
What are your thoughts on how the kickoff continues to evolve?
Yeah, so if I take it back to last offseason, when the reason for the whole kick return and this drastic overhaul of the kickoff kick return play a safety at the forefront of that to get the speed in the space and the collisions. And you know, to the average fan listening, it's it is a violent play and had been a violent play for a long time. So I totally understand and respect that player safety first, and that's why there was a driver forced to get that done. Also, the play kind of started being touchback, touch back, touch back. The initial proposal with this new hybrid kickoff was the thirty five. I thought it was a little too punitive and year call it trial sample size year one, So it got tabled, moved it to the thirty What.
Did teams do kick touchbacks? Not us?
But you know, do you know how many returns Damian Pierce had?
How many do you think I'm gonna say twelve? Yeah, it was like eight or nine.
Yeah, I mean we didn't get the ball, we didn't get a chance to return the ball. So if you're going against a good kick returner, I think Damien is. But if we're playing against a premier returner, coaches said, you know, just kick it out. Well, now, if you put that thing to the thirty five, it's a you're at a forty percent scoring opportunity rate. Two first downs, you got a shot at a field goal, not saying it's a make or miss, but like, think about that scoring probably going up a little bit more. I personally believe you're going to get more kickoffs. So it's at thirty three percent a year ago, thirties, I think that thing is gonna jump closer to the seventies. You're gonna get touch back still, but not at the clip that it was. And then you got to find ways to do it more often in game, both in coverage and return. You got to do it successfully in both and that is going to be a large swing and field position. So then last detail on it, I know I'm getting wordy. What's the average starting line of scrimmage after a kickoff? Is like all thirty two teams are like first place. The first ranked team is the thirty and one inch. The last ranked team is the twenty nine and one inchot like, it's not a big deviation. I think now you'll have that I think deviation. I think I think if you concede the thirty five yard line and you kick touchbacks, like you're gonna give up the thirty five for free because the data said, the play said, put the thing in play and go tackle the ball inside of the thirty. We're gonna try to do that, you know, within however it plays out weekly game, et cetera. But you know, it's just I think you're gonna see a little bit of a separation.
Oil and water there.
Wow, Well, we've come a long way because the instances last year where occasionally you'd see a team start at the twenty, it just looks so it looked like you were at the goal line or something. And that's how we used to play football all the time the time, always at the twenty.
Take it to the punting game, where the punt's gonna happen midfield punts. Then you're gonna have more punts to get dropped inside of the ten. Now they're more backed up, so backed up offense might uptick all the things right fringe area of the range. Are you going for it on fourth downs? Are you kicking long fifty yard field goal? Attend all these things that you got to start to evaluate. See how it plays out. We'll see I'm getting ahead of myself. You guys ask I get going, but.
You got But it's the kicking game that gets most of these you know rule changes. Yeah, there's there was a there was a proposal for you know, defensive pat not DEFENSI passor if he's holding and contact may be sure, but it feels like everything is impacting the kicking game. So I'll ask this combining the two things we talked about, scouting and these new rules, when you stare and think, hey, there may be more returns. We need more guys that can go down and cover and make tackles. We might need Damian, we might need more guys that can catch a kickoff and do something with it. Does that impact some of the way that you go about the scouting and looking at it.
Yeah?
Absolutely, And I don't necessarily know if it looks you know, players, you look at them differently. I just think it's about more team construction. Right, You're not going to be healthy across the board for seven teen weeks. You're gonna have to put the ball in play. There's gonna injuries may with the more plays that happened. But now you know, you take it to the element of football. It's like on the grass field position, you know, So how's the game being played? You know, you want to control and dominate field position, and then offensively you want to shorten the field. So do can we return the ball? Do you have a return game that's adequate, or do you have a return game that's not dominant? So all those things are going to really start to impact more. And it's about the field position, and it's about how you're controlling the game. And you know you might have a way better team than us. But if we got a short field all Sunday afternoon and you got a long field, and it's like that for the defense in our offense is short or long, like you would give that team the advantage of the NFL is too competitive, too competitive for that to happen.
So all right, I got one more for you. Sure soon enough you'll have rookies in for rookie camp. I got to thank your speech to them, your tutelage, whatever takes place during that three day period. However, long it is is so important because hey, this is your real ticket to the NFL, baby, And you might not have done this stuff in college, but you need to do it here.
You need to know and there's an entry level job. Come to the fourth down. Come to fourth down. Yeah, you guys know. And I always kind of dangle the care like player participation money, like you how many more players are on kickoff People were clamoring to get on field goal block team?
Those are Oh, yeah, you know what I mean.
It's a lot of reps for the seasons, you know, but no, it's uh thought about it.
How do you how do you learn speed of the NFL?
How do you learn physicality playing against different types of players us as coaches? Yeah, that guy has spatial instincts. You gotta go play in a kicking game. Like For as long as I'll be in this profession, I'm blessed to be a special teams coach. But like this is I am a true believer. I believe that that not only is a good healthy way to cut your heath, I think he's an unbelievable developmental skill set for the rest of your roster. The best way is a bunch of veterans that are playing really good. You got a rookie linebacker at that position. As you move out, you move up. If you could do that on repeat, I think thirty two teams would sign up for that system.
Along those lines, and this would be last one from me. How important is it for.
Your veterans, guys that have got a little seasoning to be part of those crews, to be able to say, yay, I'll go block a few well like did he go out?
Who does last year?
Hey, I'll get on punting. How important is it for them to sort of emulate that to be hey, we'll go do that if you need us to. And for the young guys looking go, hey, man, I'm not too big for my bridges. If Deniko's on it, then man, I need to be on it.
Yeah, but that's a culture thing you're you're speaking to right there. I mean, the longer you're in it, the better you become at it.
Right.
So, if dariogum Wale is one of the better running backs, if not the like I think the world of dar a Yeah, a kicking game staple.
Here for how many seasons now?
Right?
Not trying to get off the punt team. How many kickoff tackles. Is he not knifeing tackles?
Has he made? You know, I don't know many people.
You know, I can't speak for everybody, but I don't know many people that would say that it would wag.
Their nose at that.
I think he's done an outstanding job and to me, like a guy that takes pride whatever.
Jake Hansen. Now at this point, you know, m J.
Stewart, Treymond, he's you know, has had a wildly sex wildly successful career doing fourth down and I don't it might not be the superstar living that every college freshman is staring at right now, but when you get here, like, yeah, it's a pretty darn good way to go as well. And I think, you know, for your team, more veteran replacement you have on the kicking game roles, the.
Better you have a chance to be for sure outstanding coach. Congrats once again on the John Carroll Hall of Fame. Thanks you, and best of luck with the rest of the off season.
Thanks guys. Good to see you, guys. Let's have a good draft weekend. Let's do it.
Okay, See, we just scratch the surface. I mean that's all we did. We just scratched the surface with Frank Ross. He was absolutely awesome, all right, also awesome in the Lab podcast, almost more awesomer than that is in the Lab Final the Ultimate Mock Draft Simulator coming up next right here in Texas all Access. All right, we gotta jump right back in in the Lab with myself, John Harris and Drew Doherty.
We do our.
Final, the Ultimate in the Lab Mock Draft Simulator, and hopefully the draft goes just like this, and here we go, let's start it. Cameron Ward goes number one to the Tennessee Titans. No big surprise, Hey, okay.
Fly off the board and trades come up. I see one from the Bengals wonning twenty five and two forty one for forty nine eighty one and a two next year. I think that's a little too little, and then kind of one from the Chargers that I think is a little too little. It's a lot, but I just can't do that. And I don't want Royal Canadian whiskey. I'm sorry about that. Folks, got the the ad got me there, but I want to take the pick. And we see Derek Carmon there, and Derek Carmon, I think it's going to be a really good pro.
But he's gonna be a productive guy. He's enticing.
But the name right below him, John Tyler Booker is by all accounts, the best guard in the draft. Maybe maybe the best lineman. You could make that argument, probably not, but he's there. He went to Alabama. Will Anderson has gushed about him. Many others have gushed about him. You've told the story many times how the folks at Alabama rave about his leadership and then on top of it, he's a fantastic player.
Is this the pick? Is it too too much of a no brainer? Because a Buka's there a great zab.
Those five picks, those five players that we see Harmon eighteen for them, Booker twenty four, Nolan twenty six, Zabel twenty seven, Meco Bukat twenty nine. Any of those five I would feel even Walter Nolan, and I know he's had some you know, there are always some you know, anger issues, whatever you want to call him, you frustration, fine, and Danny, you wipe your hands and say, that's a cool pick.
I'm fine with it.
I'd be okay with that because I think they would surround him in the locker room and really make the most of that. But you know what I've said, Booker, no matter what's Booker Golden, no matter what for me. So Booker is there, I think this is I'm so glad to see him there. Let's snatch him up at twenty five. Now, a couple of gen xers, you and me. It's not Booker, It's not Richard Griico Booker. It's Tyler Booker. Booker T not Booker T. We love Booker T Okay. Now we're on a fifty eight and second round.
Cowboys want to trade, get bent, cowboys, we're not giving up that for now.
Boys offering seventy six and a third.
Asking for this pick here is this is Enticing from Cleveland. You're they're offering you to move back just a bit. So you move into the third, but it's the top of the third. And then you add an at pick ninety four for pick one sixty six, another late third. I'm in tree by that. But look, let's look who's on the board. John Yeah, this name Kenneth Grant. Yeah, Enticing at fifty eight, the thirty nine right below Traveon Henderson. That's my draft crush, I mean yeah, and I even texted you during games this year.
Yeah, man, I like that. Travion Henderson.
Then there's some other names down there, Mason Taylor, a pretty good tight end, t J. Sanders, defensive tackle. I'm gonna defer to you on this one. It's for me. It's it's between Kenneth Grant Travion Henderson, and I make Henderson the call, but I will defer to you.
You got to you gotta make this call now.
I have Kenneth Grant rated higher than I do Traveon Henderson, and I do think Kenneth Grant would definitely help.
Now.
I feel like Henderson's a home run hitter. You don't have offensively love home run you know how. We kind of had to slog through offensively last year, especially after Steph went down.
It was a slog It was just it was hard.
We didn't have any really home run hitters, seemingly, as you know, Joe's a home run hitter. But Joe has to be the F one fifty. You know, you can't just go bring the Maserati out for you know, a little day drive when you need it.
The F one fifty does not do one any five.
But Joe's got game breaking ability. There's no question.
I don't want to overlook that, but I just feel like, man, we need we need some big plays.
Henderson's a guy that can create it.
Drew, I'm actually going to defer to you on this one because I think Travion Henderson would be as much as I think Trenches a lot. I think Henderson being there at fifty eight I would want to jump all over this.
Kenneth Grant love you.
I hope you go to an NFC team and don't haunt our games for the next decade or so.
But let's go with Oh you know.
Where Kenith Grant's going. Look at this. Look at the pick right after ours fifty nine Ravens. Yeah, watch you watch this good and pick Henderson. See what happens. No, he didn't go, but he went a couple of picks before that, a couple picks after that, so not too surprising.
But I could see the Ravens jumping over Kenneth Grant.
We don't want to move back twenty in at of foe.
Now it's seventy nine. No, we don't want to do that.
We don't want to do this one either, fifteen, So let's make a pick. Jackson Dart's still there. I bet he goes before this, you know, I don't think he goes. Yeah, I don't think he gets its kind of a put a an astress by this.
Okay, Mason Taylor, you like him tight.
End lsu Yeah, I mean I've comped him to Dalton Schultz, and I think Mason's I think Mason's probably a little bit of a better blocker at this point, maybe then the Dalton was. But I don't know if that's a little redundant tight end wise, I don't know. I mean, look, Tyler, Terrence Ferguson's he's down there. Terrence Ferguson from Oregon is still on the board. I really like watching them at the Senior Bowl. In fact, I've got those two graded about this about the same. I mean, I don't think there's as much gap between Mason Taylor and Terrence Ferguson. Harrold Fanna Junior is an interesting one, but I think you kind of have Harrold Fanner Junior in Brevin Jordan. And I know Brev's coming back off of the knee injury, but I think Fannon would fit for a number of teams, and if the text ended up taking him.
I could see them using him.
He's kind of an interesting dude, kind of a tight end, h back move guy. I don't even think it's his tight end. He's not really a wide tight end. I mean he's kind of a full back move guy, which is kind of what Brev's done. It's kind of what Kate Stover did last year. But picked seven or the seventy two right there on their board.
That's the one Jared Wilsons, So I mentioned earlier, I've got a crush on Trevion Henderson. This one, Jared Wilson I liked, Yeah, and then I heard you say, well, he's probably the best.
Center in this draft.
Yeah, he's the best center in this draft. I mean I think he's a pure center.
Now does he come in and start as a center?
Now that's a great point.
I think there's gonna be one hell of a competition, and I think some of it has to do with you know, we got Booker.
Booker's a guard, so he's gonna play guard.
So does Booker's presence push Titus back out to tackle? I don't think it does. I think a guard combo of Titus and Booker would be really really fun. So then at that point you've gotten now a competition of Jared Patterson, Jew Scruggs, who's the second rounder a few years ago.
Drafted both of them in twenty twenty three.
And then if you were to draft Wilson, which what the point to me is, if I take a third round pick in Wilson but it guarantees me that one of the three becomes a quality center for this team, then I'm all for it.
And whether it be Wilson or Juice or Jared or whomever, you're.
Out, you're raising the tides of rightes. Yeah, I want to do this.
I I really have been kind of high on Jared Wilson after watch.
Single time I've had a draft where he's available around here, I've taken him. Okay, And there's been o those things that have been to Alfred keep going trenches.
Let's go.
Alfred Collins is the only one that kind of makes me pause here, But I'm I'm going for you're telling me he's a stas center or he's going to yield at starting center, Let's do it.
Here's the thing too, with with the centers or the interior off of the lineman I just don't find the depth there. So get the depth there, go and get the get the highest rated guy you can get there. Interior defensive lineman nine, ten eleven is still pretty am good. Yeah, so I think you can get a defensive lineman. I think there will. It'll be guys on the board ten picks later that we can look at and be very happy with and maybe off for Collins is still on the board. Maybe maybe not. I can't see whether he came off the board or not. But I think Alfred Collins would be a guy. I could look at seventy nine oclok at eighty nine, that would be a guy. But I think interior defensive line, there's just so many of them in this draft. That's such a good class that I would take Wilson there and then look maybe an interior defensive line at this pic.
Okay, this has been an unrealistic draft so far because for the Texans, because we have many trades we have not But here's a scenario in which I would make this trade. Okay, let's take a look to hear what you say. I mean, how do you not do this?
Yes, Okay, we're sitting at eighty nine, moved back three to get yeah two yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, I mean almost thirty three.
I like that.
Go to one thirty seven with the Seahawks.
Let's do it.
Like names on the board now, listen that this does give me. I like Jayden Higgins, He's in. Do you like al?
I like Higgins a lot more than I like I am an Ore.
OK.
I like Ferguson. That's left on the board.
If you move back three, one of those guys is a still probably gonna be there.
I think that's true.
And then you also get that, so you're giving up three spots here for twenty nine spots later.
I kind of like it.
Let's do it, accept make the trade, all right? Ersery is still.
There, imn are still there. Ferguson from Ferguson's very interesting.
I love his build, I love his athleticism, very light on his feet, good hands. I think he can be a decent blocker. I don't think he's a great blocker now, but I think he can be even better. I mean, Terrence Ferguson Kate Stover would be kind of fun. Schultzen Schultzen Ferguson. I mean, I think you could have uh and do some good things with Terrence ferguson here.
But is there a red light blinking over Erstrie because he's like the fifty six bet. I mean, do you I know we've gone O line heavy so far, but dude, there is you take that best player available and just do it.
I mean best player available. I'll probably do it. I mean, he's a right tackle. If he's a tackle, big strong, I mean really strong, dude, kind of diff lagged.
It's hard to fall in love with him earth.
I mean, he's one of those guys that really kind of grew on me in this process. I mean, and I'm not gonna sit there and tell you that I absolutely love him, but in ninety two, I think that would be a really good fit. I think Ursery is hard to look away from. But I think by the time we pick again, I think Fergus gonna.
Be out of the board.
Now there are some tight ends in his group that are are are nice, nice guys. I'm not saying nice guys. I'm saying like nice picks like that. I would like it, but I think it's hard to turn away from a tackle like Ursery at this point a third round.
So I think that's take kay let's do it. Hey, what have we heard all off season?
Long? Texan's gotta protect better?
Yeah, I gotta protect better.
In one way or another. That's going to help you do that. Okay, we're picking one, three seven, that's from that trade. We're moving, we're grooving. Jalen Reed is the top prospect there, safety from Penn State. You see some of these other names, Belton another tackle, We're not gonna do that. Jamari Caldwell defensive tackle down there. You got Jordan Phillips in the mix. What are you thinking here?
All right, Drew, because I have I'm now fifty three, so I've gotten older and so my brain doesn't work as much.
I'm trying to remember.
Can you click on our on my on my picks on what we've done thus far? Yes, we kind of up make to people. So we drafted Booker at twenty five. We took Trevion Henderson, the running back at Ohio State fifty eight. Good value there. Jered Wilson is center from Georgia. We took the best center I have in the draft, and ronte Urseri from Minnesota at number ninety two.
So we've gone guard tackle, center.
So we've really bolstered offensively and taking Traveon Henderson.
A couple of names that I see there that I like.
I mean, Oli Gordon is if we hadn't taken Travon Henderson, I would think about Oli Gordon, Dylan Sampson. We've already gotten kind of a better version than Traveon Henderson, but a very similar model. If you will there, you know one's a one's a Corolla, one's a Tursell.
If you remember the Toyota. I don't know why I used Toyota, but I guess Toyota because it says right above it.
Anthony Belton is a guy I would think, but man, we've already gotten three offensive linemen. I would take Belton, convert him to a guard. Jamari Caldwell is really really interesting.
Yeah to me.
He and Jordan Phillips provide some size what I've been talking about all along, athletic size. I think Jamary Coldell is like three twenty five, a little shorter and stouter, but quick agile play University Houston, four winth Oregon.
I felt like he tore dudes up at the Senior Bowl.
Jordan Phillips had a really good shrine bawl up in Frisco up in Dallas, you could. I think you could go either one of the defensive line. I'm gonna lead Caldwell just because he went to you of h kooks. All right, let's take go Cooks. Let's take him go Coops. Come on, Jamark Caldwell. All right, all right, we don't.
Pick for a while now.
Yeah, the name coming off the board long time. Yeah, you don't pick again until two thirty six sections have gone trenches and running back in this draft and.
Then trenches, trenches, trenches on both sides of the ball.
All right, okay, this here we go.
This name excuse me, uh, Peter Brady right there for those of you who are old and used to watch the Brady bunch. Yeah, voice was cracking. This name, Ingram Dawkins. This is tantalizing to me because it sounds like he can play a lot of things.
But I want to hear your I.
Mean, you and I have not talked about him, but there's a lot of great names that intrigue me him. I really like the Jalen Conyers. I want to hear what you think about him. Yes, he's a tight end and the Texans have not taken a tight end in this draft. I also want to hear your thoughts on Hawes. Tim Smith, defensive tackle out of Alabama has been taken in some mocks. You see Antoine Wells. Yeah, he's a wide receiver out of Ole Miss. What are you thinking here? Okay, do you like Ingram Dowalks.
We'll talk about Ingram Dawkins, a little bit lighter interior player, which I think the Texans have enough of now. So he you know, good, motor plays, hard plays, heavy plays violent.
I like that.
I just I don't. I don't love the fit. Plus we've already gotten called well, so I think we've done enough on that d line. Zee Biggers would be a guy look at because he's longer and really athletic for a due that's three to ten ish. Kanyers is kind of like a more tight end version of Taysom Hill. He can play wildcat, he can play full back. I want to say he's got quarterback in his system. They would use him at wildcat at Texas Tech. He's just kind of a play creator, very very intriguing to me. But let's flash down at two thirty four. The guy I've been waiting for was hoping he was still on the board. When everybody talks about tight end for this team, you know they're talking about the top end guys in this draft, but I don't think it's really what the Texans absolutely need. But the Texans need at tight end is somebody that can swap paint with a six technique that just goes to battle, is violent as a blocker's I love the fact that Jackson Hawes is an Ivy leaguer, graduated Yale, had one year of eligibility, transferred on Georgia Tech. And it was his blocking and his physicality it kind of caught everybody's attention.
Now the Senior.
Bowl, he was very, very active catching the football. He had good soft hands. I was really impressed. I was probably more impressed with that and is blocking. But throughout the season it's just blocking his physicality that get it to me.
This is Jackson Hawes all day.
To get that kind of in line wide tight end you're looking for kaboom.
Five picks later is hard. That's two forty one, that's your final pick.
Yeah.
Now, one thing we can do on this, Let's click on the offensive tab, Drew. Let's just look at the wide receivers that are there, and I think the wide receivers that are there, and I'm gonna I'm gonna make a case for one of them here that I really hear the receivers that on the board. Antoine Juice Wells from Old Miss. Playmaker had a great career at South Carolina before he went to Old Miss. Probably better at South Carolina and Old Miss not a flyer, but I think it would be a good fit in this room. Then you got Ja Corey Brooks from Louisville. I would be very happy with Bru McCoy. I've been following forever. It's injuries issues, Coundray, Lambert Smith can fly. This might be it would be a steal potentially to find him here. But the guy that gets interesting to me is well two guys Fton Chisholm from Eastern Washington.
Why makes you miss in a phone booth?
He had one of the better three come times and it shows on the field that dude will shake anybody.
He's got amazing quickness.
Now he's not fast, he's like a four to seven forty, but he's a slot receiver dujoure. The guy that might provide more of that and more speed is Jimmy Horn Junior from Colorado. Whenever I watched Colorado, he was the guy that always impressed me. Obviously Travis Hunter always impressed us, but Jimmy Horn Junior was the guy that he went Man, he's running away from guys, he's making plays.
I think Jimmy.
Horn Junior right here, that's the call, would be the seventh or I would. I would really like to see him with the Texans, So let's do that, all right. He's a little bit more of a slot guy, but he's got speed out of the slot.
There are different kinds of slot.
Like Chisholm from Eastern Washington is more kind of the true slot, kind of the whips and pivots and you know, working the chaos and the short you know, five to seven yard range.
Then there's kind of a Christian Kirk who.
Plays in the slot, but it's dangerous out of the slot because he can run slot fades, he can run posts.
I wrote an article, you wrote a really good article about this.
I appreciate that.
And he's text where he isolates the safety and beats him one on one with speed.
I think Jimmy Horn is kind of a mix of both.
I think he can really work that chaos in the shallow areas. But then he's got the speed to be able to burn down the field. So I like getting him in the seventh round.
All right, look at that. The Texans made seven picks and only one of them was on defense. That's wild. I don't think you'll see that. But this is what we had. Yeah, and these are the options in front of us.
You couldn't.
I mean, you you walk away a winner, I think after round one and then it's icing on cake. And I've used this again, icing on icing with Jared Wilson, and then from there you get some good I mean, it's good players all around.
I like this.
I like this draft alone.
No, Drew, you you and I kind of have, you know, similar existences in a sense that you know, Texas fans will take out their vitriol on us in sense whether it's comments or they see you in the store, like, Drew, what the you know, what the hell are they doing? Well, what's the one thing we heard about all year long? The offensive line? The offensive line? Well, you can't be dismayed with what we just did with the offensive line because we added potential starters at all three positions, you know, center, guard and tackle.
We got the guy.
We've made the competition supremely fierce. It was already going to be fierce.
Right and and that's I think exactly what you want to be able to get the best five battle tested dudes out of that room. You get a guy and Booker that is thought to be in alpha. And I remember when I wrote that about will Anderson Junior. I remember thinking, Okay, I would love to see it in Texas locker room. And not only has that been a big factor in Texas locker room, he set the tone for the way other people should think about the Texans and any players coming in this building should think about playing for the Texans. And so hopefully Booker is is that kind of guy. But you know, we heard so much about the offensive line. You can't sit there and go, well, what are you doing? That's too much on the offensive There's no such thing as too much on the offensive line. And I give you this last year, it's about this time that Phildelphi Eagles signed a tackle that had busted with the Jets. Couldn't play too fat, too big, just didn't get it done.
And the Eagles had all these players already.
They already had them on hand, and they when they signed with Kai Becton, and it was like, what's really bet'ing gonna do for them?
It's not gonna play tackle. You're gonna put them a guard. You don't really fit it guard.
But Beckton wins the competition, ends up being the starter, and ends up being one of the better guards in the NFL.
Last year the Phildeffi Eagles.
Now I'm not saying that's all gonna work, but that was a situation in which, well, is that overkill on the offensive line. You didn't have to pay a lot for him, but still, you know, you got all these guys in the offensive line, you add another piece. No, it panned out, so us drafting three different offensive linemen on day one and day two, that's exactly what.
That painting needed.
That room needed to be painted, and it needs all the paint possible to throw up on the canvas.
Because what happens if DJ Stroud has that extra half So that's right, what happens if not getting knocked around, that's right, ten times a game. He's only get knocked around four times a game. What happens? Yes, then with the offense. The guys you have there who are your playmakers, they're a little bit more explosive. That's right, because CJ has time.
That's exactly right.
So all that about, you know, well, too much investment in that trenches. To me, there's no such thing.
Yeah, there's no such thing from what we saw as too much investment that in January. Yes, he on average, this was the magic number. I believe we've talked about this, but the magic number, it seemed for the Texans last.
Year was four four sacks.
Yeah, that's right.
You got stacked four or more times. The Texans went too and eight. Yep, it was less. It was kind of like you reversed the number exactly, so you exactly in last year for the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I don't know, I need to look this up. The Texans did not have a clean sheet, meaning they did not have a single game.
Where they allowed zero sacks.
Yeah, I mean, they get they would go one sack against the Titans, but that was a different kind of scenario.
Yeah, it was in twenty twenty three.
They had not a number of games, but they had a handful where they gave up where they had clean sheets where they did not give up a sack, and if you went back and look, those are probably the ones where they had the most offensive output.
I remember one was Pittsburgh.
I remember that and that offense that day was pretty damn good in that game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And that was playing Austin Deculus and Diron Christian at tackle in that game. So gotta get trench help, and I think you just got to get more and bring it to the competition.
That's what the Texans did in this mock draft simulation.
There you have it. It's a good one. We got better in the trenches for sure.
Three.
I I'd like to think rock stars. Any trench guys we draft, they're gonna be rock stars. So it was good U to put that down on Wax for all to listen to. Thank y'all very very much throughout the year for following the end of lab mock draft simulators and all that.
That was really fun to finish up with.
You go to check out the YouTube video so you kind of get a feel of what we were looking at. You can definitely do that as well, so I'd encourage you to do that. Okay, we are on draft eve final bits of news. Is there anything, We'll hit some of those things on the way out next on Texans All Access. All right, here we go, last second of the show right here on a Wednesday evening, Tomorrow night at this time, Mark and I'll be finishing up Texans All Access before we then take over and I go into Draft mode at seven o'clock. Welle right here at Sports Radio six'. Ten you watch ON. Tv that's, cool but listen to. Us it'll Be Mark andre and myself along With Robert hensley with the.
Updates robert does a great.
Job in, fact one of my Memories i'll have going to my grave will Be Robert hensley leaning across the desk with finger up AFTER. Cj strout is picked to let us know The texans were indeed trading up to go Get Will.
Anderson so we'll have the. Show we will have this show for you On thursday.
Night we will also be at the draft party downtown right There Discovery, green so come check us. Out looks like any rain or any bad weather is gonna be out of the, way so we should Be we should be. Okay friday, Night it'll be me And mark along With Robert hensley doing the updates On.
Friday Then, Saturday.
Sean pegragas AND i will do the morning and Then mark will come in with me as we finish it. Up we are efforting on that Day Nick, cassario BUT i don't know if we'll get. Him hopefully we. Do that would be, really really. Fun so we'll get player interviews the guys that are. Drafted Drew dory's gonna do those, interviews so you want to be. Listening those are gonna be. Fun and OBVIOUSLY i know this draft inside. Out dre has been calling college games, forever so he knows these guys that are drafted in the first round On thursday. NIGHT i always love doing that Draft withdre because he's always got insight from production meetings and things that he has the insight.
For he knows these.
Quarterbacks and obviously we got A state Of texas quarterback going number one, overall more than likely that being Cam. Ward so it's going to, tights so we'll see him where they won't be wearing the Old oilers, jerseys so that'll be kind of, fun all, right as we go around THE. NFL i don't know that too much has been. Happening there is a little bit of like rumor. STUFF i think it's kind of. Fun the first rumor THAT i saw this was, PROBABLY i think it Was George, schultz probably around, lunchtime said that The steelers are entertaining calls On George, pickens AND i, thought, now my guy tells me that we are nowhere near. That George pickens is, mercurial he is hot, headed he is incredibly. Talented BUT i don't think we would be on in a. Mix but, look it's a, draft it's THE. Nfl i've said this numerous, times especially in the last seven eight, years and especially After DeAndre hopkins was. Traded i'm not surprised by anything that happens anymore in THE.
Nfl so could The texas be making a move On George. PICKENS i don't think, so and it wouldn't BE i don't think it'd be the right. Move that's just.
Me but he apparently is on the, Board so that is one to keep in. Mind Dallas Goddard philtoph The eagles another one that is on the board for a potential. Trade, now, AGAIN i don't think The texas would be in that. MARKET i don't think one thing that caught my eye THAT i thought was, LIKE i literally like stumbled all over. MYSELF pff did a seven round mock, draft AND i was curious as TO i always look at the mock, draft especially seven, rounders to go beyond the first round and see what they. DO i felt, like, ay it was one of the worst Ones i'd. Seen they had The texas Taking Josh simmons at, tackle AND i think it's pretty clear That texas are not Taking Josh simmons a.
Tackle there's there's too much going on.
There they Had Pooh Paul Chris Pooh paul From, ole Miss his nickname Is. Pooh, yes they had him as a draft. PICK i just don't think we're gonna take a linebacker until day. THREE i just think there are other, needs but especially the way the linebacker position has been bolstered WITH.
Ej speed, signing et.
Cetera then they had Taken Queen ewers in the seventh round at two forty, one AND i just finished my draft needs and you go check it out football taker dot. Com this one's free on The Houston. TEXANS i just have them not even looking at a. Quarterback but it picked seventy nine that The texans trading For Tyreek, hill AND i kind of doghead turned, like, ah, man there's no way, there no, way, right no, Way you never.
Know if we are now on to.
Draft we can appreciate you guys for. Listening we will see you tomorrow From GEORGE. R brown as his team attempts to get better with their first round. Pick we'll see, that, everybody and as, always Go texans
