Houston Texans Rumors: Seven round mock draft one month out
By T.A. Mock
THREE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN?! Are you kidding me? What a boring draft.
In this case, ladies and gentlemen, “boring” is a great thing. We’ve talked about it twice and we’re going to do it thrice. Watson needs to be protected. The Houston Texans had a good year last year with him getting beat up all year. Now, imagine how the season would have gone if he had a competent line in front of him?
Go ahead, let your imagination run wild. Yup, it would have been that good. The Texans need young, controllable bodies in the system to develop a mighty wall in front of Watson. Dillard and McGary are a great start with two potential stalwarts on the outside (if McGary can stick there).
However, all five spots had major weaknesses last season so they should all be up for grabs this offseason as the 2019 season approaches. Bring in as many bodies as possible and let the five best guys walk away with the starting jobs. So, why not return to the offensive line pool in the draft in the fifth round and select Ryan Bates.
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Bates played both tackle and guard at Penn State and he was a pretty good one at that. However, he is fairly physically limited which has caused him to slide down draft boards even though he’s a fairly solid player. That being said, he has the classic make up an offensive lineman that slides in the draft and becomes a solid starter for years and everyone wonders how he fell that far.
Bates fits better at guard, or maybe even center even though he has no experience there, than tackle. However, his versatility paired with his toughness and tenacity will get him looks. He could very easily be an impact player year one with a chance to start along a porous offensive line. He needs to increase his play strength to pair with his decent athleticism in order to maximize his potential in the NFL.