Posted: 5:31 PM Apr 28, 2012
Reporter: Houston Texans

Houston Texans 2012 NFL Draft Class


Round 1, Pick 26 (26th Overall)
Whitney Mercilus OLB 6’4” 261 Illinois

Round 3, Pick 5 (68th Overall)
DeVier Posey WR 6’2” 209 Ohio State

Round 3, Pick 13 (76th Overall)
Brandon Brooks G 6’5” 353 Miami (Ohio)

Round 4, Pick 4 (99th Overall)
Ben Jones C 6’3” 304 Georgia

Round 4, Pick 26 (121st Overall)
Keshawn Martin WR 5’11” 190 Michigan St.

Round 4, Pick 31 (126th Overall)
Jared Crick DE 6’4” 280 Nebraska

Round 5, Pick 26 (161st Overall)
Randy Bullock K 5’9” 205 Texas A&M

Round 6, Pick 25 (195th Overall)
Nick Mondek T 6’5” 307 Purdue

5 Offensive Players (2 Wide Receivers, Guard, Center, Tackle)

2 Defensive Players (Linebacker, Defensive End)

1 Special Teams Player (Kicker)




Houston Texans Team Draft Notes

· The Houston Texans selected a defensive player in the first round of the NFL Draft for the fourth consecutive year and the eighth time in 11 years overall. The last offensive player taken by the Texans in the first round was T Duane Brown, also with the 26th pick, in 2008.

· Houston’s 11 previous first round draft picks made immediate impacts as rookies, with only one starting less than 14 games for the team in their first season. Houston’s first-round picks in the in the Gary Kubiak Era have started a combined 94 of 96 games in their rookie seasons.

TEXANS FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS
Year Pk Player GP GS
2002 1 David Carr, QB 16 16
2003 3 Andre Johnson, WR 16 16
2004 10 Dunta Robinson, CB 16 16
2004 27 Jason Babin, OLB 16 16
2005 16 Travis Johnson, DT 15 3
2006 1 Mario Williams, DE 16 16
2007 10 Amobi Okoye, DT 16 14
2008 26 Duane Brown, T 16 16
2009 15 Brian Cushing, LB 16 16
2010 20 Kareem Jackson, CB 16 16
2011 11 J.J. Watt, DE 16 16
2012 26 Whitney Mercilus, LB - -
Bold indicates current Texans

· The Texans selected five players from Big Ten schools in the 2012 NFL Draft. The five draft picks from one conference are the most from a single conference in team draft history.

· The Big Ten has now produced 15 Texans draft picks, which is more than any conference other than the SEC, which has produced 16 Texans draft picks.

· The Texans executed the 15th draft day trade in franchise history and sixth draft day trade in the last three years on Day 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft. Houston traded the 26th pick of the second and seventh rounds (58th and 233rd overall) to Tampa Bay in exchange for the fifth pick in the third round (68th overall) and the 31st pick in the fourth round (126th overall).

· It was the 15th draft-day trade in Texans history and the eighth executed by Texans general manager Rick Smith. Of Smith’s eight draft-day deals, six have resulted in the Texans moving back and acquiring additional picks. The Texans made two trades during the 2011 Draft.

· The trade meant that Houston did not have a pick in the second round for the first time since the 2008 Draft. It also resulted in the Texans having two third-round picks after not having a selection in that round in last year’s draft.

· The Texans used the newly-acquired third-round selection to grab Ohio State WR DeVier Posey. Houston’s second third-round pick, Miami (Ohio) G Brandon Brooks was taken with the 13th pick in the round, which was acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in March that sent DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a swap of third-round positions.

· Houston’s three fourth-round picks were the most in a single round since the team had three picks each in the sixth and seventh rounds of the 2004 Draft.

· The Texans did not have a selection in the seventh round for the first time in franchise history.


Houston Texans Player-By-Player Draft Notes
LB Whitney Mercilus - 1st Round, 26th Overall
· Mercilus and his new teammate, OLB Connor Barwin, already have something in common. Mercilus and Barwin both played for the same college defensive line coach, Keith Gilmore. Gilmore tutored Barwin at Cincinnati from 2007-08 before moving to Illinois, where he coached Mercilus from 2009-11.

· Is the 14th linebacker drafted by the Texans. Houston has drafted more linebackers than any other position, with cornerback coming in second with 11 picks. Houston has drafted at least one linebacker in every draft in franchise history.

WR DeVier Posey - 3rd Round, 68th Overall
· Is the second Ohio State Buckeye drafted by the Texans and the first since RB Jonathan Wells in 2002.

· Joins Houston’s first-round pick, OLB Whitney Mercilus, as an alumnus of a Big Ten school. The duo bring the number of players drafted by the Texans out of Big Ten schools to 12, which is third in team history behind the SEC and ACC (14 apiece).

· Is the ninth wide receiver drafted by the Texans in team history and the highest-drafted receiver since the team selected Andre Johnson with the third overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. The only other receiver drafted by the Texans earlier than Posey was Jabar Gaffney, who was the 33rd overall pick in 2002.

G Brandon Brooks - 3rd Round, 76th Overall
· Is the fourth guard drafted by the Texans in team history and the first since Shelley Smith in 2010 (7th round).

· The only guard drafted by the Texans earlier than Brooks was Fred Weary, who was the 66th overall pick in 2002.

· Is the first player out of Miami (Ohio) to be drafted by the Texans. He is the second player from a Mid-American Conference school to be picked by the team, joining Jason Babin, who was the 27th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.The Texans did not have a pick in the seventh round for the first time in franchise history.



C Ben Jones - 4th Round, 99th Overall
· Is the fourth center drafted by the Texans and the first since Antoine Caldwell was selected in the third round (77th overall) in 2009.

· Is the first Georgia Bulldog drafted by the Texans.

WR Keshawn Martin - 4th Round, 121st Overall
· Is the second receiver selected by the Texans in this year’s Draft and the 10th taken by the Texans all-time. Houston also took two receivers in the 2010 Draft, when they selected Trindon Holiday in the sixth round and Dorin Dickerson in the seventh.

· Is the first Michigan State Spartan drafted by the Texans.

DE Jared Crick - 4th Round, 126th Overall
· Is the second Nebraska Cornhusker drafted by the Texans, joining FS Jammal Lord in 2004.

· Is the fourth defensive end drafted by the Texans. Houston has taken a defensive end in three of the last four drafts, including last year’s first-round pick, J.J. Watt.

K Randy Bullock - 5th Round, 161st Overall
· Is the 14th Texans draft pick from Texas and the eighth since head coach Gary Kubiak took over in 2006. The Klein product becomes the 12th native Texan on current Texans roster.

· Is the second Texas A&M alumnus drafted by the Texans, joining LS Chance Pearce in 2003. Bullock is the first Aggie drafted by Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, a Texas A&M alumnus.

· Is the first kicker drafted by the Texans in team history and was the first kicker taken in the 2012 NFL Draft.

· Is the second member of the Texans’ 2012 Draft class to have played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (known as the Texas Bowl from 2006-10), joining OLB Whitney Mercilus (2010 Texas Bowl). He is the fifth player drafted by the Texans all-time who has played in the bowl, joining Mercilus, LB Zac Diles (7th round, 2007; 2006 Texas Bowl), TE James Casey (5th round, 2009; 2008 Texas Bowl) and LB Cheta Ozougwu (7th round, 2011; 2008 Texas Bowl).

· With Texas A&M’s pending move to the SEC, Bullock counts as the 16th player from an SEC school to be drafted by the Texans and the second this year, joining C Ben Jones from Georgia (fourth round, 99th overall). The SEC has produced more Texans draft picks than any other conference.

T Nick Mondek - 6th Round, 195th Overall
· Is the first Purdue Boilermaker to be drafted by the Texans.

· Is the eighth offensive tackle drafted by the Texans.

· For the second straight year, the Texans closed out their Draft class with a tackle; the team selected T Derek Newton in the seventh round in 2011.


Houston Texans 2012 Draft Transcripts

POST-DRAFT
Head Coach Gary Kubiak and General Manager/Executive Vice President Rick
Smith Press Conference (April 28)

FIRST ROUND:
OLB Whitney Mercilus Conference Call (April 26)
Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips Press Conference (April 26)
OLB Whitney Mercilus and Wade Phillips Press Conference (April 27)

THIRD ROUND:
WR DeVier Posey Conference Call (April 27)
G Brandon Brooks Conference Call (April 27)
Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison Press Conference (April 27)
OLB Whitney Mercilus and Wade Phillips Press Conference (April 27)

FOURTH ROUND:
WR Keshawn Martin Conference Call (April 28)
C Ben Jones Conference Call (April 28)
DE Jared Crick Conference Call (April 28)
Wide Receivers Coach Larry Kirksey Press Conference (April 28)
Offensive Line Coach John Benton Press Conference (April 28)
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Bill Kollar Press Conference (April 28)

FIFTH ROUND:
K Randy Bullock Conference Call (April 28)
Special Teams Coordinator Joe Marciano Press Conference (April 28)

SIXTH ROUND:
T Nick Mondek Conference Call (April 28)

(Transcribed by Charles Hampton, Harriet Dao, Evan Koch and Zac Emmons)

POST-DRAFT
Head Coach Gary Kubiak and General Manager/Executive Vice President Rick Smith Press Conference (April 28)

General Manager/Executive Vice President Rick Smith
(opening statement) “I said last week, we were hopeful that we would be able to come out of the weekend and feel like we’ve improved our football team. We certainly feel that way. I look at our class and I think it accomplished several things that we were attempting to accomplish. We were able to add some players that can impact our team like we talked about, both offensively and defensively. In this case, for the first time in my career, even on special teams with a kicker. We were able to fill some needs. I thought our board, as the draft progressed, I was really pleased. I thought that we were prepared and as the draft progressed, at least the way we had our board stacked, it looked like it was stacked accurately. Again, that’s a testament to the men that we have and that are working extremely hard to help us add talent to this football team. So we’re pleased and I’m sure we’ll get into the details and specifics of all the players, but from an overall standpoint, I’m very pleased with what we were able to get accomplished over the last few days.”

Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(opening statement) “I just want to say I think Rick (Smith) and the scouts did a tremendous job. Obviously, the coaches have done their work over the course of the last couple of months. It’s just nice to see things come together. I feel very good about our draft class, not only adding quality talent to our football team, but a lot of passion. I think our team is about a group of guys that play very hard week in and week out. When you look at this group, that’s the first thing that stands out to me. I’m very excited to get started with them and I feel very good coming out of today.”

Smith
(on if there was something about the Big 10 that fits the system) “I think that was a coincidence. I don’t think there was any grand design. I think when we look at players we like to watch players who play in big conferences. I certainly think that it’s possible obviously to find players at smaller schools, but it’s good to see players playing against good competition. Beyond that, there was no grand design of targeting one conference over another.”

(on why they chose to go with K Randy Bullock over other kickers) “I’ll speak first and then let Gary talk. We had him rated as the top guy of the group. First of all, he’s a very talented young man. That’s apparent and he has a very strong leg. He’s had some success kicking at A&M, again, big school, big competition. I like his mental makeup. I like what he represents. I like his mental framework. I think that’s a very important characteristic for a kicker. Just talking to the young man and interviewing him and watching him, he was able to come over to our local workout and every chance we interacted with him, we felt mo re and more comfortable with him as the top guy. I think all three of those guys are very talented, but I’m glad that we were able to get the pick of the litter and get the guy that we wanted. We feel like he’ll be the better of the bunch.”

(on WR DeVier Posey and why they feel comfortable with him despite his past issues) “Number one, I think that he’s a quality young man. He did get caught up in the situation. He made a mistake. One of the things that was impressive to me is I thought he took a difficult set of circumstances and handled it about as well as he could. In that, what I mean by that was in his suspension, he continued to go to practice and continued to be a good teammate. He continued to be a leader on that football team in the capacity that he was capable of doing not playing. That plus all of the research that we had done on him—and he’s a talented football player. He’s got a skill set, he’s good size. He has good speed. He’s a very good route runner, good hands. He’s got range around his body and a catching radius that we like. We think he’s going to be a good player for us. We’ve talked often about the fact that we won’t penalize a guy for making a mistake. If it’s not repeated behavior and it’s not a decision where we think a guy has done something so egregious that we won’t even consider him. If a guy makes a mistake, we’ll give a guy a second chance. We certainly think that this young man is a quality guy, is a hard worker. I think you’ll see that and he’s a good football player.

Kubiak
“One of the things about Indianapolis, what I think is one of the greatest things about the Combine, is getting the chance to sit down and visit with these kids face-to-face. When he came in our room, obviously we’re going through his situation and he was very forthright about everything that had taken place. He told us exactly what he went through. The fact that he sat there and practice every day throughout the course of the season when he knew he couldn’t play, he got himself ready to play in his all-star game and played very well in that game. He has his degree. There are just so many positives about the kid. Obviously, he made a mistake. He wants to move on and he’s got an excellent opportunity with his career. I felt very good about him after doing all of our research and watching him play the game the year before. I just think this guy is going to fit in with our players and he has a tremendous amount of upside. Andre (Johnson) spoke to him today. We had Andre come by and have lunch with him today. I think he’s got a big-time upside and can help us real quick.”

Smith
(on if drafting Keshawn Martin means Jacoby Jones won’t be returning anymore and a possible change of scenery coming) “No, I think there were reports out there that we were attempting to trade Jacoby. Jacoby is still on our football team. We did not trade Jacoby. You’re always entertaining any kind of phone calls that you have over the course of a draft. We do our due diligence that way, but he’s still on our team. It does not signal the end of anything at this point. What we were trying to do is add quality football players.”

Kubiak
(on if he thinks he’ll look at a veteran for the third quarterback or possibly an undrafted free agent) “First off, we’re not through today. Obviously, we’ve got the rookie free agents to deal with here after the draft, so that’s something that Rick (Smith) and I have talked about. Obviously, there’s a place for another one, another quarterback and possibly two as we head towards training camp. We’ll have to figure all of that out. There are still some quality players out there from last season and we’ll have to see how the draft pans out over the course of the last round and we’ll go from there.”

(on if it is tough to overcome the idea of having a rookie as a kicker) “No, not really. You’ve got to listen to (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano); he’s been doing this a long time. He had a lot of confidence in a couple of the kickers that were in this draft. I think the thing that really sold us on Randy (Bullock) and Rick (Smith) briefly mentioned this, the in-town workouts, our local workouts that we have here with the players, he benefited from that very much. He walked in here in front of our whole staff, all of our coaches, all our scouts and he put on a show that day. He was tremendous. He’s kicked in a big environment, week in and week out. We like his maturity when we visit with him and Joe has a lot of confidence in him. Yeah, you’re going with a young guy, but we’ve got a lot of confidence moving forward and we think this young man has a lot of confidence. I think that helped us a great deal.”

Smith
(on how well their strategy played out during the fourth round and specifically regarding DE Jared Crick) “Again, we talked about being open. We contemplated moving. We were just pleased. First of all, I hadn’t had a chance to say how pleased we were that Whitney (Mercilus) was there in the first round. We had talked about maybe possibly even moving up in the first round as he continued to fall. There were a couple of other players that we had ranked fairly high, so we were active the entire draft. It just felt like sitting there in the second round that if we backed up a little bit, we had a number of players that we felt good about and felt like if we were to back up and maybe pick up some extra picks, maybe we could do what we ended up doing. So we moved obviously back out of the second and picked up the third and I think another fourth. I liked that, the young man that you mention, I liked that pick because if you look at him last year, obviously he was limited because of the injury, but this guy was a productive football player early in his career. He wasn’t as productive prior to the injury last year, but again Gary (Kubiak) kind of touched on it. You look at this group of football players, and it’s a continuation of sorts from last year. What we targeted last year were guys that we wanted that played hard, that were passionate about the game of football, that it’s important to them, that were good guys. This group, and particularly that young man, these guys play hard, and it’s important to them. I think you’ll see that he’ll come in, and he’ll fit right in with that group of players.”

(on how excited he is to add Whitney Mercilus to the team) “Yeah, just a quality young man. He adds a dimension. We talk about what we want out of first round is those guys that can impact your team, that add dimensions to your team, and he certainly is that type of player. With his pass rush ability, again, the effort, the intensity, the way that this guy works, he fits right into that group, and I think he’s just a solid addition to our football team.”

Kubiak
“Yeah, he’s very sharp. We think he can play a lot of places for us. Obviously, he’s outside. He can put his hand down on third down. We all know what he did from a sack standpoint, but he also forced nine or 10 fumbles last year. He just finds a way to make big plays. Very sharp, young man, plays a great effort. We think he’s just touched the surface. People talk about him being a one-year player, but we think it’s just the first year of many great ones to come.”

Smith
(on Texans’ strategy regarding the undrafted free agency players) “No, I think that process, just to answer the first part of your question, is what will happen is once the draft is over – it’s still going on, obviously the seventh round is happening – once it’s over, what we are doing at this point is we are identifying the guys by position with the scouts and the coaches as guys that we see that if they are not drafted as guys that we would target by position. We’ll round the roster out, for lack of a better way to put it, by positions in terms of the numbers that we’d like to go to training camp. The roster limit was increased to 90, but that doesn’t mean that we need to be at 90 tomorrow. We’ll look at our numbers from obviously this draft class as well as the ideal numbers that we need to go to the training camp with any other free agency that are out there. That’s basically what the process looks like now, so we’ll target some positions. Maybe some guys have better chances than others to make the team, so we’ll be more aggressive at some positions than others and just try to round out the roster.”

(on who to look out for this season) “I think the young man that we talked about from Nebraska (Jared Crick) might be one for me. I think he’ll come in and get into a rotation, and I think he’s a hard-nosed football player. He plays hard. Football is important to him, and I think you’ll see him fit right in with our group and contribute to our team. I’d look for him.”

Kubiak
“I would go to Ben Jones. I’m just really excited about this young man. He’s got 49 starts in the SEC. Heck of a football player, plays a great effort. He’s going to give us a lot of versatility going into game day when we’re suiting seven guys, that type of thing. I think he’s got a bright future, and I really like his football IQ, so I’m very excited about him. I think you’re going to see great things from him for a long time.”


FIRST ROUND

LB Whitney Mercilus Conference Call (April 26)
(on his initial reaction to being drafted) “I’m excited. I’m super excited. I can’t wait to be a part of the Houston Texans and their system and to start contributing right away. I’m really, really ecstatic right now. It’s unbelievable.”

(on what he’s heard about the Texans defense) “They had Mario Williams there. They’ve had great ends come out of there, so I’m just really looking to be a part of that system and being a great 1-2 and contributing as much as I can.”

(on if the Texans had him down to Reliant for a visit leading up to the draft) “During the combine, I met with the Houston Texans, but I didn’t do an official visit. I definitely got a good feel for the Houston Texans. They loved me and I’m glad they picked me today.”

(on critics saying that he didn’t have a consistent college career) “I answer that criticism by saying that I just became more of a student of the game. When I got my opportunity, I made the best of it. Instead of being behind the starter who was ahead of me the previous two years, 2009 and 2010, once I got my opportunity I was able to make the most of it and shine through.”

(on if modeled his game after any NFL players) “Yeah, I try to emulate my game after a few guys, like Julius Peppers, definitely in terms of being a power-type end and after Dwight Freeney, who is a speedy and crafty end. I definitely try to mix it up.”

(on how he would describe himself as a football player) “I’m nasty. I get after the passer. I’m not going to give up. I give 110 percent all day, every day, I will never give up. I’m looking to earn my right amongst the Houston defense and try and contribute right away.”

(on defending the run as well as rushing the pass ) “As a pass rusher, that’s my specialty. I know how to get around tight ends and offensive tackles to get to the passer. Definitely, I’ve got shape up a little bit more on the run, but hey, I feel like I’ve got good average to play the run. It’s just a matter of sharpening up my techniques at the point of attack.”

(on the weight room accident where he lost the tip of his finger) “405 pounds just dropped on my finger between the bar and the safety rack. One of my teammates who was squatting and he went down too low and then my teammate who was spotting him wasn’t paying attention fully. He started trying to help him pull up but it was too late, so I ran over there trying to help out and then that’s when my finger got caught and I pulled back and didn’t notice the tip was gone until about three or four seconds later.”

(on if he feels more comfortable standing up or with his hand down) “Any way I can. I can play any way, whether it’s standing up or with my hand in the dirt. I’ve shown the only time that I’ve stood up to rush the passer in the UCLA bowl game, then this past year in 2011, out in San Francisco, that’s the first time I’ve ever been on my feet. I thought I did pretty well on two feet. I showed that I can move well on two feet during the combine and pro day. Anywhere they put me, I’m ready to go.”

(on his perception of the Texans now and a year ago) “It has definitely been on my radar from a year ago. I think the attitude was great, they just had some downfalls and had to rebuild. I want to be a part of this defense that was fourth in the NFL in sacks and just add on to that.”

(on what he knows about Wade Phillips) “Wade Phillips? Not a whole lot.”

(on what this moment was like to be drafted) “It feels great. I can’t even explain the excitement that is going through my body right now and through my mind and how excited I am to be able to start working right away for the Houston Texans and putting that work in.”

(on if he ever met JJ Watt) “No, I never got to.”

(on where he was watching the draft) “I’m back in Akron, Ohio, watching the draft with family and friends.”

(on if he feels slighted that he wasn’t invited to New York) “No, I didn’t feel slighted about that. I was actually pretty happy because I was able to spend it with everyone that I wanted to, instead of half staying back and half going there so I’m not worried about it.”

(on how many people are there with him) “I want to say there are 10 or 15, maybe 20 people are with me right now.”

(on how much he likes getting after the quarterback) “I love it. That’s one of my passions and I don’t know what it is, it’s just being able to beat the offensive tackle that they say is the best. I love going against the best competition and just getting to the quarterback and just put the fear into him.”

(on what he remembers about playing in the Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium) “It was awesome. I remember that games against Baylor and that was a great moment. That’s when I started to see that I had the potential to reach over the top and that’s when I made my way to transition at the next level. It was just a matter of hard work after that.”

(on if he ever thought he’d be playing his NFL games at Reliant Stadium a couple years later) “No, I did not even think so. I did not see that happening.”

Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips Press Conference (April 26)
(on the Texans’ first round pick) “Well, everybody knows our pick – Whitney Mercilus. He’s like the guys we have, and that’s why we really liked him. He’s a smart player. He’s athletic. He’s tough, physical, but he’s a self-starter, high-motor guy that plays with ability. You want those high-motor guys, but you want them to have that kind of ability. He’s one of the top pass rushers in the draft. It’s a great opportunity to get a guy like that at that point in the draft. Also, I forgot to tell everybody when I signed my contract with Mr. (Bob) McNair, he said that we could get a first round pick on defense every year. That was part of it, too, so it didn’t surprise me.

(on his fit for the 3-4 defensive scheme) “Yeah, he’s an outside backer candidate just like our guys that can rush the passer – can get in the three-point stance and rush the passer and also be in the two-point and play the run and the pass from there. I think he’s a really strong pass rusher. I think he fits in real well for us there. I mean the guy had 16 sacks, led the nation in sacks, led the nation in caused fumbles – 9 caused fumbles. They say, ‘One year wonder,’ but you wonder why they didn’t play him the year before is what I wonder. I mean the guy went out and played against the Big 10, and I’m sure they did right by him, but he was ready this year. You see all the athletic ability that you look for in a player, especially with the pass rush skills.”

(on if Mercilus reminds him of anyone he’s coached in the past) “Well, he’s a lot like our guys. He’s a lot like (Connor) Barwin I think. He’s got that kind of ability. He can run, and he’s athletic, so he fits in well with the guys we have.”

(on if it became obvious that the Texans were going with a defensive player as the draft progressed) “No, I mean we went with the best player. I think we were patient with it. We had some chances. Actually, we had the chance to move up to get him because we thought he was that valuable, but we decided to hold our ground, and it turned out good for us and good for our team. But no, we don’t go offense and defense. It’s whoever the best players are on our board and that can help our team. Anytime you get a pass rusher – those are dynamic type players that are difference makers. On offense, wide receiver is a big player and the running back, but defensively it’s really corners and pass rushers.”

(on if physicality just comes with experience) “Well, anytime you looks at those guys, and they play defensive end in college, they’re going against huge offensive tackles. He’s 260 pounds, so they’re not going to look as strong against them with their three-point stance, but they look a lot stronger when they’re rushing the passer on third down in those situations. When you play them at outside backer, which we project him as, now he’s playing against tight ends and backs and so forth. You just got to determine there (are) sometimes those guys in college. I had Shaun Phillips who was the same way. They said he was too small because he played against offensive tackles, but he also rushed the passer against those same offensive tackles that are all being drafted, and he beat a lot of them this past year.”

(on if he was surprised that Mercilus was available at the 26th pick) “Well, there’s always going to be a few premier players early that everybody thinks are going to go – usually big tackles and then pass rushers and corners. We were happy that he was there. Once it gets past about 10 or 12 in the draft, you really can’t tell when a guy’s going to fall. Again, we thought about moving up to get him, but we held our ground, and we didn’t have to give up anything.”

(on what jumped out to him about Mercilus while watching film) “Well, he’s a natural pass rusher. He’s got the skills that you look for in pass rushers. He’s a little different than Brooks Reed was last year. He’s more used to using his hands, and he’s got a speed rush, he’s got a power rush, and he’s got a quick inside move. It’s something certainly to develop, but he has some natural moves. I mean you don’t get 16 sacks in that league without having some natural gifts, and he has those.”

(on where he fits with Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed in a rotation) “Yeah, he certainly fits right in there. I think he’s a pass rusher, and I think we’d utilize him more in the pass rush rather than over the tight end. We’ll see, but I’ve played them all before. We had (Steve) Foley, and Shaun Phillips, and (Shawne) Merriman, and we played them all on third down. Just put your best people in, and we can come up with something. If they’re good enough, we’ll put them in there and let them rush.”

(on what else he’d like to get in the draft to complement the offseason acquisitions and Mercilus) “Well, that remains to be seen. We had six defensive linemen last year, and we only have five on the team right now, so I mean a guy’s got a chance to play for us there and be in the rotation. That’s a factor, and inside backer. We lost one, but we replaced one. I think we’re pretty strong right now overall. I think our secondary is pretty strong, and our front seven looks good. I’m going to beg for another draft pick, so I’m not going to beg out of that. I think there’s some guys in the draft that we like, and we’ll just see where they are.”

(on comparing Mercilus to J.J. Watt at this time last year from a developmental standpoint) “I look at him a little more developed than Brooks Reed was last year because Brooks didn’t use his hands as well. Brooks is a really good football player. I mean at the end of the year, he and J.J. were dominant players at their position. We’re excited about that, and of course, Connor Barwin is, too. I think this kid will fit right in. I think he’ll fit right in that group, and you won’t say, ‘Wow, we got two guys and him, and he’s got to come along.’ I think he’ll fit right in that group.”

(on any concern about his only playing one season for the most part) “No, not if you produce. He did it against good competition. I think if he had played another year, he’d have probably been in the top ten. He’d have been the top ten in the league. If he did the same thing again the next year, which is going to be this year. I think he will, but if he did the same thing again for another year, he’d been a top ten pick without a doubt. A lot of people are saying, “Yeah, it’s only one year,’ but to me, when a guy shows he can do all those things, I don’t think he’s going to lose that.”

OLB Whitney Mercilus and Wade Phillips Press Conference (April 27)
Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips
(opening statement) “As I said yesterday, this guy fits right in the fold of the kind of players that we have here. It’s an addition to what we have. It’s not to take away from Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin who are outstanding players in their own right. We think this guy fits in and can help with that group immensely. First of all, I think in a three-point stance what he’s naturally done in college, I think that’s where he’ll help us first, but we feel like he can play outside backer. The transition to 3-4 outside backer, we’ve had a lot of them in the past and just had Brooks Reed last year. This guy, this is the kind of guy that can do it. He’s athletic, he’s smart, and he plays extremely hard. That’s really a key that we like to have on our defense is guys that really get after them. That was one of the things that we look for every year, and this is the guy, one of the best in the college ranks this year. We’re really pleased to have him.”

OLB Whitney Mercilus
(opening statement) “I’m glad to be here, excited, definitely to be selected by the Texans with the 26th pick. I played in a 4-3 my whole time (at Illinois) with my hand down, but I think I’ve proven myself to move well in space during the combine and also at my pro day. I’m here to contribute and be part of something great here. They went to the playoffs last year as I understand it. I’ll be climbing up the ladder this year to try and help make something great. I’m honored to be a part of that.”

Phillips
(on what he has envisioned for Whitney in nickel situations and how this group of linebackers compares to San Diego when he had three with 10 sacks each) “Yeah, I think it’s a comparable situation. We’ve got talent. It depends on once we get to playing to see what everyone can do, to see what we do with those guys. I’m never opposed to putting my best players out on the field, especially on third downs. Those guys, we’ll come up with some kind of defense that fits our personnel rather than having a certain defense that everybody has to play and you have to play a four-man look and one of your best players is sitting on the bench. I can envision, right now, those three guys (Mercilus, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed) along with J.J. (Watt) and Antonio (Smith) being in the rush group and one of them dropping and the other four rushing, which gives people problems. Of course, you also have (Brian) Cushing in there. I think we’ll be formidable that way.”

Mercilus
(on what he feels that he has left to prove as a player) “I have to prove that I’m not a one-year wonder. The thing is I got it last year, and when I was given the opportunity to be the starter, I took advantage of it and definitely broke out in 2011. Now, coming up to this level, I feel like I can do the same things and I’m looking to prove my worth and get started right away to prove those negative stereotypes wrong.”

(on what it’s like for him to rush the passer) “It’s enticing, definitely, because I love doing it. When you tell me just to go – don’t think, just go – definitely I’m going to get there. No doubt, it’s letting the collar loose and chasing after that ball.”

Phillips
(on what he thinks when he hears OLB Whitney Mercilus talk about rushing the passer) “Well, that’s what we’re looking for and that’s why he’s here. People talk about ‘one-year wonder,’ and I know he’s heard that a million times already, but if he’d stayed there and played again this year and did the same thing, he’d be a top-five pick. So I don’t foresee that he can’t do those things; what I saw is that he can do those things, whether it was in one year or playing for five years. We know what he can do and we know the type of person he is and the kind of worker he is, so all those things, the arrow is pointing up.”

Mercilus
(on what helped him force nine fumbles last season) “We worked it in practice several times, we do takeaway drills and everything, but when you’re in the game, it’s just having a knack for it. When the coach tells you, ‘We need to get the ball out,’ you can’t really foresee it coming; it’s just a knack you have to have just to get in there and just to knock the ball away.”

(on what the day has been like for he and his family) “It’s exciting. Everybody’s excited, having the family here. They were excited since last night to get the call, and everybody went and booked flights to come out here and just have everybody experience what I’m going through. I’m glad to be here, everybody’s excited, definitely a lot of fan appreciation, and I’m glad to meet the coaches and everything and have them (his family) be a part of that and keep it a close family.”

(on his initial impressions of the Texans organization) “There’s a sense that everybody wants to win here, no doubt, and they selected me here in the first round and they’re expecting that out of me, a lot of expectations, and definitely I want to go to work right away and prove that and not fail them in that sense and just go to work.”

(on whether he has looked at how his skill set will fit in the Texans defense) “Not a whole lot because I’ve been training for the Combine and training for individual teams and everything, but I’ve been keeping up with my workouts with dropping back into coverage, and also doing d-line drills and everything when I had a certain amount of time between travels and everything. So I’ve been keeping on pace with all my treatments and everything and keeping healthy and just making sure that I’m ready to go from day one.”

Phillips
(following up on OLB Whitney Mercilus’ comments) “He’ll have a playbook before he leaves here, though.”

Mercilus
(on whether reality has set in with him yet) “It was a few days ago and it finally hit me that I was going to be playing at the next level. It’s surreal, and definitely it’s exciting. I can’t believe I’m here now.”

(on how playing in the Big Ten helped prepare him for the NFL) “Definitely, playing in the Big Ten, there’s a lot of competition there, playing with top guys such as Mike Adams, a highly-touted offensive tackle (from Ohio State) there and other guys. The thing is, playing against that type of competition, even if I did it in one year, to me that kind of does not matter because I feel like I’ve done it against the best. Now coming into this next level, I’m about to go against the best of the best, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Phillips
(on how playing in the Big Ten helped prepared OLB Whitney Mercilus for the NFL) “We saw (DE) J.J. (Watt) really against the same kind of competition last year and he excelled, and now we saw Whitney against the same kind of competition and he excelled in a different way. J.J. was more of a lineman; he’s more of a linebacker, but that kind of competition certainly helps you. They’ve got great players in that league that are all being drafted, or are going to be drafted sooner or later.”

Mercilus
(on whether he has spoken with any of his new Texans teammates yet) “No, I haven’t. I’ve seen that they’ve tweeted me and called me ‘the rookie,’ so I’m excited to meet them.”

Wade Phillips
(on the Texans veterans meeting rookies) “They can’t wait for those rookies to get in, though. They want a free meal, I think.”

Mercilus
(on being able to help his family now that he’s made it to the NFL) “It means a lot. The thing is, they’ve worked hard all their lives to put food on the table for my brother, my sister and also myself, and I think of it as a way to return that favor to them and show how much I do love them.”

THIRD ROUND

WR DeVier Posey Conference Call
(on his reaction to being selected by the Texans) “I am ecstatic right now. I can’t wait to just quiz Andre Johnson and ask him about everything he does and just follow him and follow in his footsteps and get down to Houston. It’s just a really excited moment, probably one of the biggest moments of my life.”

(on his style of play and what kind of receiver he is) “I really don’t try and pattern my game after anyone. I just try to be fundamentally sound in all the others and just try and work on everything to be the best player I can be. Growing up, I’ve always watched guys like Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Michael Irvin, those old school receivers that just do everything right. For me, trying to master the position is really important and that’s one thing I want to do at the next level.”

(on being suspended and his season coming off the suspension) “I missed 10 games because I served two five-game suspensions. The first suspension happened when I sold my ring my freshman year and missed five games. The second one happened, I had a job and they told me I was overpaid for it. It was something I learned my lessons from, I’m moving forward. It’s made me a better man and a better person. I’m just excited just to get down to Houston and get to work.”

(on his response to people saying he has ‘character issues’) “Character issues, that’s neither here nor there. This was one thing that I got in trouble for. I made a dumb decision and you get bashed for it and everything, but I can’t really control what anyone says. I’m moving forward. I know what happened in the past, but I’m just looking forward to the future. I can’t control what anyone else says.”

(on his prior conversations with the Texans) “I had the official meeting where I got to meet everyone on their staff and meet everybody with the organization in a closed room. I was open and honest with them and just told them everything that happened. I thought that it went well and I was just really excited just for this process to see what was going to happen and before you know it, Houston called me. I’m excited to be a Texan.”

(on if he was thinking Houston was a likely destination) “Not at all. I didn’t know who was going to take me first.”

(on watching Andre Johnson and playing with him) “I’ve been watching Andre Johnson since 2002 in the National Championship when they played Ohio State. He’s a hell of a player, and just watching his highlights over the years, it’s just a person that I emulate the way he plays and the tenacity that he plays with. I was in Miami one time with my roommate because my roommate’s from Miami, and I saw him down on South Beach. I was just kind of star struck. I didn’t even know what to say to him. He’s going to be my teammate, and I’m supposed to be lining up and playing with him, so I’m really excited for that.”

(on how long ago was his trip to Miami) “That was last year.”

(on if he spoke with Andre Johnson in Miami) “Nah, I didn’t approach him.”

(on his feelings about learning from Andre Johnson) “Oh, man, I’m really excited to learn from him and just to get down there with T.J. Yates and just pick their brains and everything.”

(on his potential role in the Texans’ offense) “Uh, no, I have no idea. I’m willing to do anything. If they come in there and tell me I got to run down and be a gunner on punt, I’ll run through a wall for them.”

(on his feelings about not being able to play for so many weeks last season) “It was the hardest thing really I had to go through in my life. I feel that having to sit and watch was one of the most humbling experiences. Coming to Ohio State and being fortunate enough to play as a freshman and a sophomore. Just for that last year to have to sit down and watch everybody play and all the guys around the country have great years, I felt that I was Ohio State’s biggest fan. It was hard. My girlfriend was right there with me and my mother. I don’t know. I was just trying to be patient and know God has a plan and know that this happened to me for a reason.”

(on if he thinks that going in the third round has salvaged the situation) “I really don’t know, sir. Right now I’m thinking a thousand thoughts, and as far as that goes, that hasn’t even crossed my mind. Being suspended seems like so long ago to me and just like another life and just how I felt at that time. I don’t know. I’m just really excited just to be where I’m at and just feel very blessed right now.”

G Brandon Brooks Conference Call
(on his initial reaction to being drafted by the Houston Texans) “It’s an indescribable feeling. I feel extremely blessed and I’m happy that Houston had the faith in me to draft me. I really appreciate it and I just want to thank the organization.”

(on whether he was surprised and/or motivated by not being invited to the Combine) “I understood that I could be invited and I could not. I did use it as motivation to keep that chip on my shoulder, and that was kind of the big thing for me.”

(on his versatility, having played both guard and tackle in college) “As far as the versatility, I’m one of those guys that before the season, the coaches asked me where do I feel comfortable, and like I said, I was one of those guys where it didn’t really matter to me where I played; whatever best helps the team. It’s the same thing going into Houston; I’m not looking for any position or anything like that. I understand I have to earn it and work hard to get it. I’m just versatile, and whatever they want me to play is definitely where I’ll play at.”

(on whether he’s more comfortable playing at guard or tackle) “Since I’ve played so many – right guard, left guard, left tackle, a little center in the Spring – any position. I don’t feel like I’m better at one or the other. Any position is good enough for me.”

(on his familiarity with zone blocking) “I had three different offensive coordinators, so you name it, I ran it. I ran zone, inside, outside; I ran power, isos, draws, everything.”

(on what he knows about the Texans offense) “Offensively, a strong running game (and) a strong passing game as well. I think they’re a team on the rise, offensively.”

(on on how he feels about playing in the zone blocking scheme) “I look forward to going down there and seeing what I can do. I think I can play in the zone scheme. Like I said, I’ve done it, and I’m just looking forward to getting down there and getting to work.”

(on joining the Texans offensive line and blocking for Texans RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate) “I feel like I can go in there and learn a lot of things from the veterans, and I know nothing is given to me. I look forward to learning so much more at the NFL level from the veterans and the coaching staff.”

(on whether he’s stronger as a run blocker or as a pass blocker at this stage) “I’d say right now my run blocking is more of a strength.”

Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison Press Conference (April 27)
(on why he isn’t worried about DeVier Posey’s character and how he envisions Brandon Brooks fitting in with the offensive line) “Well, starting with our wide receiver (Posey), he made a mistake. From the checkups that we all did, starting with (general manager) Rick (Smith) and myself, (wide receivers coach) Larry Kirksey, (head coach) Gary Kubiak, we all checked with whoever we could and felt pretty comfortable that it was a mistake he made. He worked hard and still went to practice the entire year even though he only played a few games. We felt that he made a mistake and he learned from that. From there, we went and looked at how he worked at the Indy combine. We looked at his junior year and junior and sophomore film. We thought we had a talent that was comparable to some of the guys that were taken a lot earlier. At that point, we thought it was a good choice for us. As for as Brandon Brooks, I’ve never coached a guy at that size, but we feel that he can do what we do. He moves around well. The East-West Shrine Game is where I first noticed him and he functioned and did very good for a guy that size. If you look at him, he doesn’t look like he weighs that much. Most of his weight is in his lower body. He can still run under a five-flat forty, which is what we ask our guys to do. We really don’t have, at least to my knowledge, we don’t tell everyone you have to be under 300 (pounds). We let them run around and see how they look and with (head strength and conditioning coach) Cedric (Smith) and (offensive line coach) John (Benton). They figure out if you need to go a little faster, you’ve got to lose a little weight. If you have a little problem with push, then you gain a little weight. It’s just something that you function in our system and we feel like he can do what we do.”

(on how high he thinks Posey could’ve been drafted if he hadn’t been suspended) “Oh it’s hard to say, but when you look at the talent and he compares very well with some of the guys that went to Indy and you take the numbers that he had as a sophomore and junior and move that into his senior year, he’d be up with some of the other guys that were taken earlier. I don’t know exactly where, but we thought it was a talent at that spot in the third round, that we were comfortable taking.”

(on his speed and what else jumps out about Posey on tape) “He runs great routes and has good ball skills. He’s very precise in everything and works hard. He works in the run game. He’s a good sized guy. He fits with the rest of our guys. We’re trying to supplement our wide receiver group and we think he does a good job with that.”

(on whether the Midwest focus of the Texans’ draft picks is by design or coincidence) “We’ll take guys from wherever they come from. Obviously you just look for the best player wherever, and you look for good competition and obviously in the all-star games, which Posey was in the Senior Bowl and Brandon (Brooks) was in the East-West. We like looking at those tapes because you get to watch them practice and practice against very good players, so I don’t think it’s any one spot. It just happens that it happened that way.”

(on Brandon Brooks’ role on the offense) “No, he’ll be inside. We’ll start him inside and put him in with the rest of our guys and see how it works. We’ve lost Eric (Winston), we’ve lost Mike (Brisiel), so we have a couple of spots in there. We’ll move around and see what happens. The best five will play.”

(on Texans’ decision to move back ten spots in the draft and if they felt Posey would still be there at the 68th pick) “There was a cluster of people that we felt really good about. Rather than go through our entire draft board, there was a cluster, and we felt like if we jumped up and got somebody at 2 or we felt like if we move back, got an extra pick, we could feel pretty comfortable with this group of people that were in the third round.”

(on his own thoughts from his personal conversations with Posey) “Basically, yes. It felt like he was honest, he was up front, and he told us what went on. We checked our resources, and everything seemed to pan out exactly how he explained it.”

FOURTH ROUND
C Ben Jones Conference Call (April 28)
(on his reaction being drafted by the Texans) “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. I’m just excited. It’s in the south. I love being from the South. I was born down here, so it’s good to stay down south. I can’t wait to get there and enjoy Texas and being in Houston.”

(on how he would describe the type of player he is) “I’d say I’m a very physical guy that plays whistle to whistle and I like to get after it.”

(on where he’s watching the draft) “I’m watching it at my aunt’s house in Bibb County, Alabama because I don’t have service at my house at home.”

(on if he had any idea the Texans would pick him) “I really didn’t have any idea. One of the special teams guys said, ‘Hey, I heard good things about you when I was talking to the special teams coach,’ but that’s really all I heard. I am excited.”

(on how many people he is watching the draft with) “It’s probably 30 of us. It’s all my mom’s side of the family.”

(on what he knows about the Texans offense and zone blocking scheme) “They’ve got a high powered offense and a lot of great talent. I actually followed them pretty well with (Matt) Schaub and then they had TJ Yates last year, Andre Johnson, (Arian) Foster, so you’ve got a lot of power down there and I can’t wait to get in that system and contribute in any way I can.”

(on if he ran a similar scheme at Georgia) “Very similar. We ran a lot of inside and outside zone. I think I can come in and do whatever I can to help the team out.”

(on if there is a player that he looks up to and simulate his game after) “I’ve always grown up watching Jeff Saturday and just seeing him. He’s a 6’2”, 6’3” guy kind of like me. He played for awhile and he’s from Georgia so I followed him for awhile now. Now, hopefully I can play for awhile and kids can look up to me.”

(on if he think he needs to add size before playing in the NFL) “I think I’m a pretty good size but if they need me to get bigger, I’ll definitely do that. If they want me to lose a little weight, I’m up for anything. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do.”

(on if he has played any other positions on the line other than center) “I actually played guard my whole life growing up, all through high school and I played it in college at Georgia a lot. I was the backup to both guards this year and the previous two years. I played center, but our next best player was a center, so if somebody got hurt, I would go to guard and he’d become the center.”

WR Keshawn Martin Conference Call (April 28)
(on the type of receiver Martin is) “I’m just a fast, quick type of receiver, also can do punt and kick returns. I feel like I got good route-running ability, and I feel like I’m going to be a good fit for the Houston Texans.”

(on who he patterns his style of play after) “When I was in college, I liked to compare myself to a Percy Harvin-type of player that could make those big plays for the team and really help the team out.”

(on his favorite type of route to run) “My favorite type of route is probably a 12-yard out route.”

(on how much exposure he had to the Texans’ offensive staff during the entire process) “I really can’t remember, but I don’t think that I talked to the Texans at all. I don’t think I talked to them at the Combine, and I haven’t talked to them at all. It’s such a surprise that the team that I haven’t really talked to just picked me up like that. I’m just so happy, I’m lost for words right now.”

(on playing with WR Andre Johnson) “It’ll be great just playing with a guy of his caliber, just going in there and learning from him and being hopeful that one day, I’ll get my chance to be the type of player that he is.”

(on what he needs to work on to make the transition) “The first thing I feel I’ve got to work is just getting used to the system, playbook, everything like that, and just getting my hands, not looking up the field too early, just really concentrating and focusing on the ball. Then, once I get the ball in my hands, I’ll feel like I’ll already have the ability to play in the NFL.”

(on other Big Ten players joining him in this rookie class) “Yeah, I know they drafted DeVier Posey, right? Yeah, so I’m excited about that just playing with him.”

(on what his draft day has been like – where, with whom, how he found out the news) “I’m at my mom’s house right now watching it with my mom, my aunt, grandma, cousin, and my girlfriend and my son. I just got a call, and I’d seen who was on the clock, so I took a wild guess. I was saying it was them.”

(on his family’s reaction when it happened) “Yeah, it was a lot of crying going on. They were over here crying a little bit, but I’m good.”

(on his agent) “Chase Callahan.”

DE Jared Crick Conference Call (April 28)
(on his reaction to being selected by the Houston Texans) “It’s a great organization to have an opportunity to be a part of. I’ve been following them. I follow guys like (Texans DE) J.J. Watt just for the fact that he plays the same position I did in college, so it was good to follow him. And just seeing the progress that the team has made over the past couple of years, they’re an exciting ball team to watch.”

(on joining the Houston Texans defense) “I’m very excited to play for a team who prides themselves on defense as Houston does. Coming from Nebraska, where we do the same as far as pride on defense, it’s very exciting to go in and have the opportunity to work for a coach like coach (Texans defensive coordinator Wade) Phillips and the whole defensive staff.”

(on which players he patterns his playing style after) “I like to predicate myself on hard work, and again, watching guys like (Texans DE) J.J. (Watt) play this year, I like to think that I have the same mentality as far as how we play the games. So just being around those guys who predicate themselves on hard work, I think is going to be a great opportunity for myself.”

(on how much interaction he had with the Texans prior to the draft) “Other than just a conversation at the Combine, not too much at all. We didn’t really talk that much, so this is kind of a surprise for me.”

(on what being drafted means to him) “It’s very special. You live your whole life and wait for this moment, so right now it’s just really exciting. It’s been a while since I played football, and I’m just ready to get back out there and play the game I love.”

(on where he’s watching the draft and who he’s with) “I’m at my aunt and uncle’s house in Cozad, Nebraska, and I’m just with some family members and kind of not really watching, but I’ve just kind of been waiting for the call and today I’m pretty fortunate to get it.”

(on his style of play) “I like to consider myself a guy who plays the game hard. I love this game and I’d do anything for my team. I want to win, and whatever it takes to win, I’m going to do, whatever my role is. I like to consider myself a very loyal teammate, someone who’s going to work for the guys, so I’ve just got to go in and I’ve got to prove that to the vets and I’ve got to prove that to my new teammates.”

Offensive Line Coach John Benton Press Conference (April 28)
(on drafting Brandon Brooks and Ben Jones) “We’re very excited about both of them. Starting with Brandon Brooks, he’s a guy who through the draft process—both these guys were targeted by us early on, even before we knew a whole lot. You start this out by watching game film, from a coach’s perspective, and that’s all you know about them and then you start the combine and the different processes and get to know them a little better. Brandon is a guy who obviously we liked him initially on film. He’s a big presence guy, which is a little different from us. He’s a big body man and I liked what he did at Miami of Ohio. I was very impressed with how he played in the East-West game. We actually brought him in here to the deal and spent an extensive amount of time with him in the meeting room, at dinner, casual settings, formal settings, the whole deal. He just surpassed our expectations that way and I really feel like we’re getting a physical presence who also has the things that we need to be successful in the way that we run the ball which is body quickness and the ability to get to the second level and to reach and cutoff shades and that type of thing, which is a little different from other offenses. We were excited that he was there when he was there. Ben was a guy, a very similar deal, we started watching film on him and we all watched it separately at the beginning. Myself, Jim Ryan helped out this year, Rick Dennison, Gary (Kubiak) and he was one of the guys we all came to a consensus to target right off the bat. He only exceeded our expectations. He’s one of those guys, everything you go investigate about Ben Jones is A-plus, plus: character, work ethic, and those types of things. He really is a role model in that way. I’m obviously very excited that we got both of those guys.”

(on if they ran the zone blocking scheme at Miami of Ohio) “Yeah, close enough. It’s never exactly right. Miami of Ohio was more of a spread offense that all of the colleges are running. The good thing in our vein is it doesn’t matter what offense you really run, almost every offense uses zone blocking, so that’s a big thing and all the linemen have to pass protect so you can evaluate them, at least to an extent. One thing that I always tell all of our young guys coming in, ‘we’re not drafting you for what you are, we’re drafting you for what you can become.’ Both of these guys have a high ceiling in that way.”

(on Ben Jones saying he patterns his game after Jeff Saturday) “That’s a good one to pattern. He’s been playing and been successful for a long time. Along those same lines, Jeff Saturday is great success. It may not be the exact scheme we’re running but that’s really irrelevant to me at this point. If he’s taking on the work ethic and professional attitude, then he’s going to be very successful doing that.”

on losing former starters, RG Mike Brisiel and RT Eric Winston during the offseason, and if he’ll have to bring his rookie offensive linemen up-to-speed because of it) “Sure. I tell you, from standpoint, it was painful losing those guys. From obviously Mike (Brisiel) and Eric (Winston) are outstanding players, not only that over the course of six years, you grow pretty close to guys, even on a personal level. It hurt from being their position coach and whatnot. I think, obviously losing two of five starters on the line, knew this draft or whether it was free agency or the draft, it had to be addressed. I would personally, and I think it’s the thought of quite a few, I would always rather do it through the draft if we can’t get viable players and feel like we really did.”

(on how he sees third-round pick G Brandon Brooks and fourth-round pick C Ben Jones fitting in with the rest of his offensive line) “Very well. There’s going to be a heck of a lot of competition going on, which can…the rising tide raises all boats. I think we’re not handing out positions to anybody so we’ll see where everyone ends up right there but there’s a pretty good competition for those inside three spots right there. Obviously Chris Myers will have the upper hand but we’ll throw these other guys in the fire with Antoine (Caldwell) and see what happens.”

(on how much better he feels about the depth of the offensive line with the players they’ve drafted) “Quite a bit better. I’ll tell you, just on a side note, obviously we’ve got some players, but even more specifically, we like what Thomas Austin has done. But losing Mike Brisiel, this is the little known fact and part of the structure of my job, is Mike Brisiel was our backup center. If something were to happen to Chris Myers in a game, that was Mike Brisiel. I think Ben Jones coming in as a center provides us right now with a legitimate backup at that center spot and allows us more flexibility, whether it’s Thomas Austin and (Antoine) Caldwell and even Wade Smith.”

(on if the Texans’ draft picks on the offensive line viable candidates to start) “Absolutely. I think it’s wide open in there.”

(on how much Ben Jones’ ability to play guard helps him with the Texans) “It helps a lot. It really does. Just as I mentioned with Mike Brisiel being our backup center, we only get to suit up seven for a game. You really can‘t afford to have one-position players really at any spot. All our tackles know both tackles positions and all our inside guys will know all three inside spots. We may not choose to do that, but they’ve all got to have some ability to do that. Versatility becomes a key part. I was telling them, you win the starting job outright, maybe you don’t have to worry about it as much. But when you’re coming up and you’re coming in to compete, you’ve got to do that and we’ll rep them in practice that way. Ben (Jones) will come in right off the bat and he’ll be repped at center and guard and probably do that with Brandon (Brooks) as well.”

Wide Receivers Coach Larry Kirksey Press Conference (April 28)
(on his thoughts about WR Keshawn Martin and what he can bring to the team) “I just think when you look at Keshawn, he’s been a productive receiver. We like his size. We like the way that he plays the game. He’s an outstanding player with the ball in his arms. He has route-running skills where he can escape the line of scrimmage and elude defenders, and I like his playing strength. He’s a dynamic player that we think will come in and compete and hopefully run after the catch, which has been down in the last couple of years, and improve that and make us a better football team.”

(on how kickoff and punt returns skills help with his versatility) “Again, if you go back and just watch him like we all did, you can see that he has running back skills like Percy Harvin does, but at the same time, he’s not a big receiver, but he’s an explosive receiver, and we like the way that he plays the game.”

(on what he liked about the two Big 10 draft picks in comparison to what else was available) “Again, it’s a very talented group of receivers coming out, and it just so happened the way we had them lined up and those receivers, that’s how it came out. The Posey kid, again, he’s a big, physical receiver, he’s a good athlete, he’s smart, and we expect him to come in and compete. That’s what we want our receivers to be is physical. We think he brings that to the table, and at the same time, he only played a limited number of games a year. At the same time, we see the potential there to be an impact player.”

(on how excited he is to start training with these rookies) “That’s the key. Again, you guys know we drafted Jacoby (Jones) I guess five years ago, and we had Dorin Dickerson a year or two ago, so we only had a couple draft picks then from that. Those classes were so weak. Again, we’re looking to improve in that area and get some impact players and create competition and make us a better football team.”

(on if Keshawn Martin will return kicks after doing so in college) “He’s done that, and he’s an outstanding returner. He has good vision, and that’s key in returning kicks or even playing the game. You got to have vision and run-after-the-catch skills, and he has both of those – vision and run after-the-catch.”

(on Jacoby Jones’ future with the team after the acquisitions of DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin) “Well, again. We’re creating competition right now, and again, as far as that, I don’t know that. Right now, Jacoby’s here on this team, and we’re going to proceed that way, but at the same time, we’re creating competition and trying to make us a better football team.”

(on if the DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin picks are a statement about the depth of the quality of receivers coming out or about the receivers on the current roster) “Well, I just think it’s about the depth of the quality of the receivers coming out. It’s a good year for receivers, and I think there are going to be guys that are not going to get drafted that are very talented. They’ll come in and make some teams from that standpoint, but it’s a good year. We’re in position where now we can create competition to make our team better, and that’s what we’re trying to do and get beyond where we were a year ago, beyond that first playoff game and beyond. At the same time, we want to improve in that area.”

(on if he has had discussions with Jacoby Jones on what he needs to do in the offseason) “No, and again, he’s here working out, and we’re proceeding as normal. No, we haven’t had that discussion. This is news to me, too. I guess Rick Smith and Coach Kubiak will answer those questions for you, but we’re proceeding just like he’s here. He’s on this football team.”

(on how excited he is to be getting multiple draft picks) “It really is. You always want to try and improve and this game is forever evolving and changing as far as talented young receivers. This is a good year for that, but at the same time, we want to continue to build and improve in that area. You’re right, it’s a good year to get a couple young receivers in here.”

(on how difficult it is to sort through all the depth at receiver in the draft) “Again, it’s a great number and Marc Lubick and I sat down and would make up cutups on each receiver. We then would watch the combine and then we’d watch them at the all star games and things of that nature. We would try and see what skills they had in common. Who is explosive? Who can get in and out of their breaks? Who has strong hands? Hand placement with the ball? All those things come into place. Run after the catch? At the same time, will be block in this system? Our system is one where we ask our receivers to be blockers and if you go throughout the NFL and you talk to other teams, they say, ‘man, how do those receivers block those defensive ends and block downfield?’ That’s a compliment to those guys but at the same time, we want guys to come in and be able to do things that we want in our system. Our system is one that you have to work at it and prepare because of all the things we ask them to do. To answer your question, it was a tough decision but at the same time it was a lot of hard work and hopefully it will pay off.”

(on what jumps out about DeVier Posey on tape) “He’s a fantastic athlete. He’s smart. He’s tenacious and he has those skills you’re looking for as a receiver with his size and playing speed and hands, route running skills that you’re looking for in a receiver. He has all those things.”

Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Bill Kollar Press Conference (April 28)
(on what the Texans like about DE Jared Crick) “We really like him. I watched some film on him from last year, also. He got hurt this year and missed, really, most of the season, so I saw him and he really uses his hands well and gets off blocks well. His sophomore and junior year, he had a total of 19 sacks, so he can get after the passer and plays real good technique, so we really liked what we saw on film.”

(on whether DE Jared Crick’s injury last season concerned the Texans) “No, not really. You see what the guy can do, what he’s done over his four years at Nebraska, and it’s just one of those things. I think he had a concussion and came back and tore a pec (pectoral muscle) and was out for the year; and those things just happen, sort of like (former Texans OLB) Mario (Williams) this past year for us. He’s 100 percent and ready to go, and we’re looking to get some pretty good help from him this year.”

(on whether there was any drop-off in DE Jared Crick’s production after DT Ndamukong Suh’s departure to the NFL in 2010) “Not really, because the first year that Suh was gone, he still had 9.5 sacks and was very productive. Again, this year he was hurt, so that’s obviously the lack of production that he had this year, but we see him as a good football player and we see that he should be able to get into our rotation at defensive end and be a big plus for us.”

(on whether DE Jared Crick has a similar motor to Texans DEs J.J. Watt and Antonio Smith) “Well, that will be yet to be determined, but we don’t see any problem with that once he gets here and he sees how everybody else plays and works. We see him fitting right in with us, because also (DE Tim) Jamison and (NT Shaun) Cody and (NT) Earl Mitchell and all the guys have all worked real hard and I’m sure he’ll fit right in.”

(on whether there are any lingering issues from DE Jared Crick’s injuries last season) “He was totally cleared at the Combine and he’s in good shape and ready to go.”

(on whether DE Jared Crick reminds him of any players that he has coached in the past) “Not necessarily. He really does a good job with his hands. He’s an instinctive player, which you really like. You know how you see some guys who sort of look like robots when they’re out there playing? He’s not like that at all. He’s an instinctive player; he uses his hands real well, comes off blocks, and I think that’s why he had a productive career at Nebraska.”
(on whether DE Jared Crick could play defensive end and defensive tackle) “No, not really. What happens is, with us playing the 3-4 now, he’s not an outside linebacker. Really what happens is we have outside linebackers, defensive ends, and then the nose men. The defensive ends usually play a five- and a three-technique, and that’s what we see him really playing. We don’t see him as a nose man, either, and then when we get into nickel, he’ll be an inside rusher, really, a defensive tackle for us.”

FIFTH ROUND

K Randy Bullock Conference Call (April 28)
(on his feelings about being drafted by his hometown team) “It feels great. It’s my dream, growing up in Houston. To have the opportunity to play in my hometown, it’s a dream come true.”

(on where he is watching the draft) “I’m watching the draft in College Station, Texas, with some family and close friends.”

(on his reaction when they called his name) “It was awesome. They called me with a couple minutes left on the clock, and I wasn’t sure if the fifth round was going to work for me because I saw the time ticking down. When I saw the Houston area code, my heart stopped.”

(on if he was aware that the Texans never drafted a kicker before and if he thought he might be the first) “I had an idea through interviews and my workout process with them. They had told me they were considering doing it, and I’m very happy that they did. It’s the place that I wanted to be, so I’m very excited about my opportunity to be a Houston Texan.”

(on what the Texans did to scout him) “I saw (special teams coordinator) Coach (Joe) Marciano several times. I worked out for him at the Combine. He came out and worked me out at my pro day. I went and worked out in Houston for them for their local workout, and we stayed in touch several times probably once or twice a week throughout the whole process. I knew he was high on me. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but I’m very, very happy that it did.”

(on what he thinks of Texans special teams coordinator Joe Marciano) “I’ve enjoyed my conversations with him. I really get along well with him, and I think that’ll carry over onto my play, onto the field. Having a relationship like I have with him going into the season will definitely be a great situation for me.”

(on his family’s reaction about his being home) “Everybody started yelling. As soon as we saw the Houston area code, I said, ‘Hold on,’ and everybody started yelling. Most all my friends here are from Houston, so everybody’s fired up, and I’m very excited to be in blue and red.”

(on what he thinks the difference will be kicking in the NFL) “Honestly, I think it’ll be about the same. A lot of it’s just continuing to work hard, moving through the workout process. Everything’s mentally tough. It’s a learning process, and I think I’m prepared to go out and contribute as soon as I get there.”

(on how much of a possibility he saw Houston being after K Neil Rackers signed with the Redskins) “That right there was kind of a red flag. Obviously, they didn’t have anybody on their roster, so they would definitely be looking for somebody. I wasn’t sure if it would be something that they would draft or a free agent, but they were obviously in the market, and I was hoping that my number was the number that they dialed.”

(on if he was excited when he saw K Neil Rackers had signed with the Redskins) “A little bit. I really didn’t follow a whole lot of that throughout the process. Most of the information I had was from friends and family members. I stayed away from the internet the last few months, but all that stuff didn’t really mean anything until my number was called.”

(on if he was excited when the Texans were established in 2002) “Absolutely. I grew up watching the Houston Oilers, and then we didn’t have a team for a while when they moved out to Tennessee. I started following them immediately once they came to Houston, and it’s pretty neat for me to be in this situation. It’s a dream come true.”

Special Teams Coordinator Joe Marciano Press Conference (April 28)
(on K Randy Bullock) “Obviously, very positive. There’s a couple things I like about Randy. Obviously, he has the leg strength. I worked him out twice, so leg strength is important and mindset is important. I just think he’s a very strong-minded individual. He has a lot of confidence in himself. More importantly, I’ve got confidence in him.”

(on if he has any concerns about going with a rookie at kicker) “None.”

(on if Bullock’s ability to overcome adversity has made him so strong-minded) “Well the tragedy with his dad, overcoming that is pretty strong. I don’t know. You’d have to ask him that. I just think his total makeup, he’s all business. That’s another thing I found out as I’ve researched a lot of young kickers this year in case we had to go this route. I talked with a lot of them and worked a few out. I studied a lot of tape. I made a lot of phone calls. He is all business. That’s another part of the process and equation that I like about him.”

(on Texans general manager/executive vice president Rick Smith saying that kickers tend to fail before they succeed in the NFL) “It’s no different than any other position. Everybody fails. Show me one that didn’t fail.”

(on if it’s more obvious when a kicker fails) “We took a rookie punter last year so we’re not afraid to make a move. The biggest difference obviously is if the punter shanks a punt in the second quarter and they end up going three downs and punt, it kind of goes unnoticed. But if a kicker misses a big kick or makeable kick and you lose by two points, obviously its more amplified, you’re right.”

(on the return abilities of Keshawn Martin) “There were a couple of guys we were looking at for the wide receiver position. The fact that he has return ability, everything else being equal, he gives us more value and he’s a terrific punt returner and kickoff returner.”

(on Randy Bullock’s ability to kickoff) “He’s pretty strong. We’re in a league now where the five yards makes a difference. It depends on who you play. If you put it eight yards deep and you’re playing the Jets or the Bears, they’re coming out. You’re going to have to cover some kicks. There’s a couple things that I think I can help him with to be more consistent in getting the ball deeper, a couple technical things I think he can improve on. He’s strong; he’s strong enough to kickoff.”

(on what stands out about Keshawn Martin returning kicks on film) “He plays fast. He’s fearless. He’s got courage. He doesn’t like to run out of bounds. When he got near the sidelines he looks to cut back or even get three, four, five more yards. Usually I judge a returner by how they run the middle returns because when you run in the middle, it’s not a wall. It’s instincts and he has the instincts. He has running back instincts. He can put his foot in the ground and make a move. He can break tackles. He can make you miss. He has the speed to go the distance. He’s pretty complete. There are not many holes in him as a returner.”

SIXTH ROUND

T Nick Mondek Conference Call (April 28)
(on his reaction to being drafted by the Texans) “I’m so excited. You have no idea. I can’t wait to come in and just work hard and get at it and get to work.”

(on the competition on the Texans offensive line after the team drafted three offensive linemen) “Hopefully my work ethic will come in. It will just show up and I can prove myself and make the 53-man roster.”

(on how he would define himself) “My biggest thing would be (aggressiveness). I’m real aggressive. I played D-line for three years at Purdue and then I played two years on offensive line. My biggest thing is I take the defensive mentality and use that on the offensive line.”

(on making the transition from defense to offense and how it’s worked out for him) “It’s worked out really well. I’m really happy with everything that’s happened. The biggest thing I had, instead of always going forward every play, that I had to pass set. That was the biggest change but after that first half of the year, my junior year, I got used to it, got comfortable and actually really feeling comfortable and playing really hard.”

(on why he switched from defense to offense) “What really happened was we had Ryan Kerrigan that year and none of the O-linemen on the right side could stop Ryan Kerrigan. So they took my aggressive mentality and put me over there just to be able to see if we could stop him and be actually able to practice and actually run our offense the way it should be run.”

(on whether he has the ability to grow as a player) “I totally agree, and I think that’s a lot of what the coaches at the Texans really saw about me is that I’ve only played two years and I’m really starting to get comfortable and now I can really take my game to the next level and really become the player I really can be.”

(on whether he had much contact with the Texans prior to the Draft) “They flew me in for a visit, but before that, not too much.”

(on what he knows about the Texans offensive system) “Our run plays are pretty much zone, so I can’t wait to run that. I should be familiar and be able to hopefully really hone my skills, and then be able to show up and, hopefully, really impress people.”

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