AND THE HOUSTON TEXANS SELECT...

Josh Jordan's mock draft 3.0: The rule of three

Josh Jordan's mock draft 3.0: The rule of three
Photo by Brian Ray/Hawkeyesports.com

They say good things come in threes. Hopefully, that's the case with my 3rd mock of the year. I have the Texans taking a player that would be an immediate upgrade, and will give the team some stability where there's currently a huge weakness. 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

Composite photo by Brandon Strange

All signs point to the Cardinals drafting Kyler Murray.

2. San Francisco 49ers- Ohio State DE Nick Bosa

The 49ers take the best player on the board despite trading for Dee Ford.

3. New York Jets- Kentucky Edge Josh Allen

Passing on Josh Allen would be a mistake, and they need somebody to pressure Tom Brady.

4. Oakland Raiders- Alabama DL Quinnen Williams

Mike Mayock knows what he's doing. He'll take the best player on the board, and that's Williams.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Michigan DE Rashan Gary​​

The Bucs have to improve on defense. They roll with Gary to hide their weak secondary.

6. New York Giants- Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins

All this talk about Eli Manning playing several more years for the Giants is just a smoke screen. The Giants select their future QB here.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Florida OT Jawaan Taylor

The Jags want to run the ball and play good defense. They appear committed to Leonard Fournette, so they improve their o-line with the best right tackle in the NFL Draft. If Cam Robinson comes back healthy from his ACL, the Jaguars will love their starting tackles.

8. Detriot Lions- Mississippi State DE Montez Sweat

Matt Patricia is all about defense, and they have to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Trubisky and Cousins aren't too shabby either. Hopefully his heart condition doesn't push him down the board.

9. Buffalo Bills- Washington State OT Andre Dillard

The Bills might actually have an offensive line worse than the Texans. This pick is a no-brainer as they get the best left tackle available.

10. Denver Broncos- LSU LB Devin White

The Broncos had an elite defense the last time they won a Super Bowl. Devin White will make an immediate impact.

11. Cincinnati Bengals- Missouri QB Drew Lock

12. Green Bay Packers- Houston DL Ed Oliver

13. Miami Dolphins- Clemson DL Christian Wilkins

14. Atlanta Falcons- Oklahoma OT Cody Ford

15. Washington Redskins- Alabama OL Jonah Williams

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

17. New York Giants- Michigan LB Devin Bush

18. Minnesota Vikings- Iowa TE Noah Fant

19. Tennessee Titans- Clemson Edge Clelin Ferrell

20. Pittsburgh Steelers- LSU CB Greedy Williams

21. Seattle Seahawks- Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown

22. Baltimore Ravens- Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf

23. Houston Texans- Kansas St. OT Dalton Risner

I had the Texans selecting LSU corner Greedy Williams in my first mock, and had them taking Ole Miss tackle Greg Little in Mock Draft 2.0. This time, I have the Texans drafting a right tackle because there aren't any left tackles that are worth drafting this high. Also, with the Texans signing Matt Kalil, they are not locked in to taking a left tackle in the first round. I also think that current Texans left tackle Julién Davenport is a better bet to be a decent starter than current right tackle, Seantrel Henderson. Henderson can't stay on the field because of non-stop injuries, so the Texans need a right tackle just as much as they need a left tackle. Remember when the Texans had Eric Winston at right tackle? Yeah, those were good times. Hopefully Risner can have that type of impact.

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

25. Philadelphia Eagles- Washington CB Byron Murphy

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- NC State C Garrett Bradbury

30. Green Bay Packers (via Saints)- Mississippi State DL Jeffery Simmons

31. Los Angeles Rams- Georgia CB Deandre Baker

32. New England Patriots- Alabama TE Irv Smith Jr.

Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon,

@JoshJordan975

@Moneyline975

@JerryBoKnowz

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Christian Walker got on base twice in the opener. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

White Sox continue to have Houston's number

After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.

Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.

Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.

The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.

On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.

Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.

First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.

Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2

Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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