Josh Jordan's mock draft 2.0: Draft a tackle, don't get Greedy

Photo via: LSU football/Facebook

With all the action in free agency, it's time to update my mock draft because many teams have filled their needs with free agents. The Houston Texans have the 23rd pick, so let's take a look at how the draft board might stack up.

1. Arizona Cardinals- Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray

Murray should be a great fit in Kingsbury's offense.

Composite photo by Brandon Strange

Nothing changes for the Cardinals after free agency. I still think they take Murray and move on from Josh Rosen.

2. San Francisco 49ers- Alabama DL Quinnen Williams

With the 49ers trading for Dee Ford, they pass on Bosa and draft Quinnen Williams.

3. New York Jets- Ohio State DE Nick Bosa

I had the Jets taking DE Josh Allen in Mock 1.0, but with Bosa available this time around, they'll draft him instead of Allen.

4. Oakland Raiders- Kentucky Edge Josh Allen

The Raiders get a pass rusher to replace Khalil Mack.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Michigan DE Rashan Gary

Their defense was horrible last year, so they improve the pass rush with Gary.

6. New York Giants- Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins

It certainly looks like the Giants are rebuilding, and getting a QB has to be a priority.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Washington State OT Andre Dillard

With offensive tackle Cam Robinson coming off an ACL injury, the Jags add a tackle to protect their new QB, Nick Foles.

8. Detriot Lions- Mississippi State DE Montez Sweat

Guys that can sack the QB are hard to find.

9. Buffalo Bills- Florida OT Jawaan Taylor

The Bills have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, so they address their weakness with Taylor.

10. Denver Broncos- LSU LB Devin White

I had the Broncos drafting o-line in my first mock. Now that they added some players in free agency, I think they go defense and add a big time playmaker at linebacker. Is 4.42 a good forty time for a linebacker? I thought so.

11. Cincinnati Bengals- Alabama OL Jonah Williams

12. Green Bay Packers- Clemson DL Christian Wilkins

13. Miami Dolphins- Oklahoma OT Cody Ford

14. Atlanta Falcons- Houston DL Ed Oliver

15. Washington Redskins- Missouri QB Drew Lock

16. Carolina Panthers- Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson

17. New York Giants- Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf

18. Minnesota Vikings- Michigan LB Devin Bush

19. Tennessee Titans- Iowa TE Noah Fant

20. Pittsburgh Steelers- Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown

21. Seattle Seahawks- Clemson Edge Clelin Ferrell

22. Baltimore Ravens- Florida Edge Jachai Polite

23. Houston Texans- Ole Miss OT Greg Little

I had the Texans selecting LSU corner Greedy Williams in my first mock, and he's still on the board. The Texans would get better value with Williams, but they have to get a young tackle to develop and eventually protect Deshaun Watson. As of March 19th, the Texans still haven't signed any tackles, so drafting a tackle is a MUST. Little may take some time to develop, just like former Texan Duane Brown, but he should be an improvement over Houston's linemen on their roster currently. Also, his poor Combine performance has his value down a bit, but I don't think he'll be on the board if the Texans wait until the second round to draft a tackle. The fact that Little doesn't have his own Pro Football Focus prospect video says a lot. If he does have one, I couldn't find it. He's still under-the-radar for many talent evaluators and people putting mock drafts together. I think he'll become a quality tackle, but it may take some time.

24. Oakland Raiders (via Bears)- Florida State Edge Brian Burns

25. Philadelphia Eagles- LSU CB Greedy Williams

26. Indianapolis Colts- Mississippi State S Johnathan Abram

27. Oakland Raiders (via Cowboys)- Alabama RB Josh Jacobs

28. Los Angeles Chargers- Clemson DL Dexter Lawrence

29. Kansas City Chiefs- Washington CB Byron Murphy

30. Green Bay Packers (via Saints)- Alabama TE Irv Smith Jr.

31. Los Angeles Rams- Georgia CB Deandre Baker

32. New England Patriots- Kansas State OL Dalton Risner

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The bats are back, but the pitching is another story. Composite Getty Image.

Takeaways from the Astros’ series win over the Orioles

The bats carried the Astros to a series win over the Orioles. Houston scored 7, 10, and 9 runs in the first three games — and they needed every bit of that production to hold off a scrappy Baltimore team that kept fighting back. It was a sharp contrast from their previous series against Detroit, when the Astros managed only two runs across three games.

Over the past seven days, Houston’s offense has been middle-of-the-pack, ranking 12th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS, while the pitching staff has struggled with a 5.19 ERA, 24th in MLB.

Offense heating up

Carlos Correa has led the way during this stretch, hitting .370 with a .901 OPS. He’s been far from alone, though. Jesús Sánchez (.368 AVG, 1.032 OPS), Victor Caratini (.976 OPS), Yainer Díaz (.304 AVG, .820 OPS), and Christian Walker (.276 AVG, .921 OPS) have all delivered at the plate. The collective surge has been timely, giving the Astros’ rotation and bullpen some much-needed margin for error.

Can the bullpen hold up?

That margin might not last if the bullpen wears down. Bryan Abreu has been excellent, but his workload is becoming a concern. With Bennett Sousa landing on the IL with elbow discomfort, depth is thinner than ever. Houston hopes Craig Kimbrel — added from the Rangers’ minor league system — can provide another leverage arm. His debut was encouraging: no runs, two strikeouts.

Still, inconsistency looms. Cristian Javier continues to struggle with command. Javier recorded 10 walks over his 9.2 innings in his rehab starts with Sugar Land. Unfortunately, those control issues have followed him back to the big leagues. McCullers is dealing with the same issues, walking five batters in just four innings in his most recent start.

Walks have not only led to quick rallies, but also forced the bullpen to absorb heavy innings when starters can’t work deep. Javier's latest start against Baltimore was a prime example: spotted a five-run lead in the first, he immediately walked the first two batters and gave the runs right back in the first two innings. Then the bullpen had to cover the final seven frames. AJ Blubaugh really came through for the club, delivering four innings.

Patience with Javier

There may be a silver lining. Javier looked sharp in his first outing back from Tommy John surgery, and perhaps expectations were set too high too quickly. Manager Joe Espada has urged patience, reminding that bumps were always likely during the recovery process. The key for Javier — and for Lance McCullers, will be consistently throwing strikes.

MLB realignment thoughts

On a different note, realignment has been a popular topic this week. Personally, I like the Astros in the American League, where rivalries with the Yankees and Red Sox have added juice. The AL West isn’t the toughest division, which benefits Houston, though the late-night West Coast trips remain a grind. If a shift happens, it’ll come with trade-offs, but for now the AL feels like the right home.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!

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Josh Jordan's mock draft 2.0: Draft a tackle, don't get Greedy