AFC South Draft Recap

Houston Texans: They failed to come away with more support to build around new quarterback Matt Schaub, so a lot of pressure will be on Amobi Okoye to become an impact player on the defensive side of the ball.  The Texans are trying to build a strong foundation along the front four of guys who can penetrate and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.  Okoye addresses a thin unit inside and has a lot of upside with his ability to penetrate, but could have a mental and physical adjustment to the league at such a young age. 

Jacoby Jones could make an immediate impact as a return specialist with his speed and athleticism.  He’s a developmental project in the passing game who will need time to learn the pro game and how to run routes, but likely not catch the ball consistently enough to be more than a complement.  Fred Bennett could add some depth in sub packages with his athleticism, but will need to improve his physical skills to develop into a larger role.  Brandon Frye and Kasey Studdard add future depth along the offensive line. 

Indianapolis Colts: Bill Polian again went about finding the best fits for his team.  Anthony Gonzalez has limited upside, but is a very savvy and tough pass catcher.  He’ll be a more durable version of Brandon Stokley working out of the slot.  Tony Ugoh has athletic upside to eventually develop into a left tackle, but must develop more of a football mentality.  He’ll be working with one of the top offensive line coaches in Howard Mudd. 

A couple underrated moves by Polian were the additions of Daymeion Hughes and Michael Coes at cornerback.  Neither was graded high due to below average speed, but both are ideal fits in the cover-2 with good instincts and ball skills.  These are solid additions to replenish depth after losing Nick Harper and Jason David as free agents. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Numbers at the safety spots were needed after losing Deon Grant and continued worries about the durability of Donovin Darius.  Reggie Nelson has excellent range in the deep areas and isn’t afraid to hit.  The only concern about Nelson is making the adjustment to a pro style defense after free lancing in college. 

Derek Landri could add some depth at defensive tackle in the next year.  He’s a blue-collar guy who relies on hitting gaps.  He’ll be a pesky defender who complements the size of Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.  Justin Durant has intriguing athleticism and should make an immediate impact on special teams.  He displays natural football instincts and could develop into a starter at linebacker within a year or two.  John Gattis should add depth at safety in sub packages with his athletic ability. 

Tennessee Titans:  The success of this class is in the hands of Michael Griffin.  He’s an excellent athlete with tremendous physical skills.  The key for Texas defensive backs is fitting them into a traditional pro defense.  The Titans will try to use his athleticism at cornerback initially with the suspension of Aaron Jones.  Teams were all over the board on Griffin because he was inconsistent in college despite his athleticism. 

Chris Henry has excellent size and speed, but never developed into a consistent running back at Arizona.  There are several questions about his mental makeup, similar questions last year with LenDale White.  White and Henry will likely be sharing time in the backfield. 

The Titans have continued to get burned on overrated athletes at the wide receiver position in the draft the past several years.  This class could be no different.  Paul Williams is more of an athlete than football player who doesn’t show much desire for football.  Chris Davis could develop into an adequate backup at wide receiver.  He’s a good athlete, but has inconsistent hands. 

Overall, I have a lot of questions about the Titans’ personnel department over the past few years.  They traditionally have had a strong scouting department of veterans who valued good football players, but have reached and missed on a lot of athletes who lack the passion and instincts to succeed at the NFL level in the past three or four years. 

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