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,

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Thieves broke into Travis Kelce's house in October. Photo via: Wiki Commons.

For months, daring bands of thieves linked to South American gangs have been making off with piles of jewelry and cash from the homes of the biggest superstars in sports, targeting the likes of the NFL's Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Sophisticated pillagers have deployed drones and signal jamming devices, sometimes posing as delivery drivers or maintenance workers, to gain access to gated neighborhoods and thwart home security systems, according to warnings issued by the NFL and NBA.

But in recent weeks, investigators across the U.S. have made a handful of arrests connected to at least one of the high-profile heists and discovered stolen sports memorabilia, jewelry and art stuffed into storage units in New Jersey.

A group of Chilean men stopped in January while driving in Ohio were charged Monday with stealing nearly $300,000 worth of designer luggage, watches and jewelry from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s house. Photos showed one suspect wearing a sparkly necklace with Burrow's jersey number that he had worn during interviews, according to a federal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

“These individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg,” said Kenneth Parker, the U.S. Attorney in southern Ohio, who believes the men are working with South American theft rings that for years have been ransacking opulent homes from coast to coast.

Some luxury watches and jewelry stolen from homes across the country — not just those belonging to athletes — ended up being sold at a pawnshop in Manhattan's Diamond District and stashed away in nearby storage units, federal authorities said in court documents released Tuesday that accuse two men of fencing the items.

Whether the entire string of burglaries targeting athletes are connected to the same crews from South America or if those groups are working together isn't clear. Federal authorities leading the investigations have been tight-lipped since the FBI warned in December that crime organizations were preying on professional athletes.

Superstar athletes targeted in home burglaries

Investigators say international crime rings have looted high-end houses for years, but now they're going after some of the biggest names in the NFL, NBA and NHL.

Thieves broke into the homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Mahomes and Kelce within days of each other in October around the time they played New Orleans and Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched the game from the stands.

Jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen from NBA All-Star Luka Doncic's home in Dallas in December. Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin reported a home invasion in January that happened while his team was playing at home.

Similarities in the string of break-ins

Law enforcement officials warned sports leagues last fall that thieves had been striking on game days when they knew the players would not be home, often smashing through rear windows.

Some of the groups scoped out their targets by posing as home delivery drivers or joggers in secluded neighborhoods.

Burrow's home in Ohio, which sits on a gated street tucked along a wooded area, was broken into while he was in Dallas for a Monday Night Football game in December. The men charged in the invasion were found weeks later traveling with a Husky glass-breaking tool that one of them bought at Home Depot, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

Players have been advised to not only beef up their home security but also avoid posting their whereabouts on social media.

Thieves targeting items that can be sold underground

The theft rings are focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches and luxury bags, according to an NBA warning based on information from the FBI.

The two men indicted this week in New York City were accused of buying stolen watches, jewelry and other expensive items from a variety of burglary crews and reselling them at their pawnshop in Manhattan since 2020.

Court documents said the pair were tied to five separate burglary crews and linked one of the two suspects to the men accused of breaking into the residence of a “high-profile athlete in Ohio” on the same day that Burrow’s home was hit.

A judge on Friday denied bail for the pawnshop owners.

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