A look at the selections
Lance Zierlein's analysis of the Texans later picks
Apr 26, 2019, 9:16 pm
Lance Zierlein's breakdown of the Texans second-day draft picks:
Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky
Round: 2 Pick: 54
Strengths
- Exceptional size for the position
- Long arms dangle down his side
- Offers up a stiff jab to stall receiver's release near goal line
- Fluid feet in early stages of mirror-and-match from press or off-man
- Lateral transitions are fluid
- Adequate eye balance between high/low routes from zone
- Shows flashes of aggression to become better in run support
- Dangerous off the edge as kick blocker
Weaknesses
- Lacks consistent competitive nature
- Motor runs hot and cold in run support
- Content to allow catches in front of him without squeezing the route
- No interceptions and only eight passes defensed over two years
- Rarely finds football once back is to the passer
- Slow to gather feet and trigger on throws from off coverage
- Lacks top-end makeup speed to run down mistakes
- Below-average route anticipation to stay connected
Who he is:
Long and tall with physical traits galore, Johnson looks the part but lacks the consistency and ball skills expected of a starting NFL cornerback at times on tape. He has had issues with allowing catches and touchdowns when his back is to the ball and his ball production was very disappointing over the last two years. Some position coaches believe that his issues can be corrected with coaching. If it's not corrected, it will require changes in coverage scheme.
On the other end of the spectrum, he's extremely long and strong from press. At the Senior Bowl he suffocated receivers from press coverage rep after rep and pushed himself way up with evaluators. He is willing as tackler in run support. Johnson's combination of size, strength and speed could create an opportunity to step right into a starter's role opposite Johnathan Joseph, but the going will likely be bumpy when the ball is in the air for at least the first season as he adjusts and learns.
Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois
Round: 2 Pick: 55
Strengths
- Has experience at both left and right tackle
- High achiever in the classroom and said to pick up info quickly
- Tall with well-proportioned mass and thickly muscled arms
- Adequate ability to mirror
- Changes pass-set depth and landmarks based upon opponent's speed
- Plays to his length with consistent arm extension to neutralize edge
- Inside post-hand stabs and thwarts inside moves
- Possesses mass potential and power to become grinder as run blocker
- Fits and drives through down blocks to clear the run lane of debris
- Choppy steps and good base width as base blocker
Weaknesses
- Pass-protection fundamentals in need of improvement
- Comes out of stance with weight too far outside
- Quick to open outside shoulder in pass sets, exposing an inside path
- Pass slides feature long gallops rather than choppy, controlled feet
- Fear of edge speed could make him succeptiable to inside counters
- Needs to eliminate hitch before striking with his wide, outside hand
- Late hands get challenged and discarded, forcing re-sets
- Has a tendency to linger too long on first block on combos and twists
- Doesn't sustain run blocks like he should
Who he is
He played left tackle this season but will bump over to right tackle where he is more comfortable. Scharping has a good combination of size and functional athletic ability, but there is work to be done in his pass protection. While he's shown the ability to handle bull rushers with a stiff inside hand and quality recovery talent around the edge, He tends to open his outside shoulder too early and his pass sets become hurried and unfocused against edge speed.
However, keep this in mind…. in his matchup against Florida State's Brian Burns, Scharping was outstanding at keeping Burns away from his quarterback and stymieing Burns' edge speed while preventing any inside counters. Scharping has potential in the running game but need more reps with his hand in the ground and firing out into opponents. He could compete for early reps, but I'm expecting him to learn in practice for the better part of the year. Then again, when is the last time Seantrell Henderson stayed healthy?
Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State
Round: 3. Pick: 86
Strengths
- Chiseled, athletic frame with very good size
- Has blocking toughness and just needs to improve technique
- Snaps hands and hips into engagement
- Good radar in space as move-blocker
- Races off snap and into seam with plus acceleration
- Early speed to lose linebackers
- Nifty, quick feet for sharp directional change in routes
- Talented to work all three levels as receiver
- Former basketball player and it shows
- Able to post up defenders and win body positioning
- Sudden leaper with springs to win at the high-point
- Makes mid-air ball adjustments
- Ability to run past or drag tacklers after catch
- Needs to improve his landmarks as run-blocker
- Slow-starter getting into lateral blocks and loses positioning
- Inconsistent hands as base-blocker
- Needs to improve timing on work-up blocks
- Still relatively inexperienced with modest career production
- Not as clever in setting up route breaks as he could be
- Will need to work quicker and be more sudden with red zone work
- Dropped too many easy catches in 2018
Charles Omenihu, DL, Texas
Round 5: Pick: 161.
Strengths
- NFL-ready frame with long limbs, broad shoulders and muscular legs
- Has punch to rattle the pads when he gets off first
- Length to lock out on tackles and tight ends when setting an edge
- Above-average play strength should translate into NFL improvement vs
- the run
- Explodes with some twitch out of his stance
- Usually one of the first defenders off the ball and up the field
- Better edge attack than expected once he commits
- Ankle flexibility allows for rip-and-bend edge move
- Batters the tackle's outside hand with angry two-hand swipes
- Has leg drive to plow through redirection by tackles.
- Movement tends to be mechanical and rigid
- Below-average tackle radius
- Change of direction is chopped and exaggerated
- Unable to hold ground with sturdy inside post against most angle blocks
- Body control and balance are blow par for interior action
- Inconsistent hand usage, limiting ability to control point of attack
- Limited gas tank hinders pursuit effectiveness on extended plays
- Pass rush is more telegraphed than instinctive
- Struggles to alter his rush path in response to mobile quarterbacks.
Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan
Round: 6. Pick: 195.
Strengths
- Patience from press
- Can shadow release or pedal out
- Waits out release declaration and opens on time
- Smooth to turn and run
- Route magnet with agile feet and swivel hips
- Able to withstand sharp, complex routes
- Usually in position to challenge the catch
- Allowed under 40 percent completion rate this year
- Sticky feet able to collect and squeeze the comebacks and shallow crossers
- Shows pace in cover-3 bail to retain proper spacing near receiver
- Not fast, but has a makeup gear
- Slightly built frame
- Plays strength to challenge NFL size in question
- Missed seven games in 2017 due to back injury while at Oregon St
- Good ball skills short, but average when deep
- Average long speed
- Slow to turn head and find the football Can be stacked and shunned by big boys targets
- Loss of coverage leverage can be exploited in pros
- Sits back in run support and takes passive angles
- Blocks tend to stick to him
Cullen Gillaspia, RB, Texas A&M
Round: 7. Pick: 220.
Strengths
- Plays like his hair is on fire at all times
- Doesn't come off field as core special teamer
- Impressive speed to get out in front of wide stretch plays
- Has athletic tools to improve as a blocker
- Showed better radar as blocker by South Carolina game
- Soft hands out of the backfield
- Able to add yards after catch
- Stands in and gets after it in pass protection
- Instincts as lead blocker need a ton of improvement
- Slow to process moving pieces and pick out his target
- Play can be scattered and out-of-control
- Poor gather and strike in open field
- Struggles to adjust to moving targets
- Lacks thump in the hole
- Loses leverage with elevated pad level into contact
- Doesn't bring feet under him at contact and bounces off blocks
Editor's note: Lance's analysis of all the Texans picks first appeared on NFL.com, where you can find all of his terrific draft coverage.
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Rich Eisen lays out how Stefon Diggs trade will impact Texans next season
Apr 19, 2024, 3:03 pm
Impersonal as it might seem to have their dynamic on-field relationship end with an exchange of phone texts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made it clear on Thursday how much receiver Stefon Diggs meant to him during their four seasons together in Buffalo.
Allen made no mention of Diggs’ mercurial temperament or the occasional sideline flare-ups by expressing only praise in his first opportunity to discuss his now-former teammate being traded to the Houston Texans earlier this month.
“Just thanking him for everything that he did for me, and (I’ll) always have a spot in my heart for him. I’ll always love that guy like a brother. And I wish him nothing but the best,” Allen said, in disclosing what he texted to Diggs. “My lasting memory of Stef will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today.”
Brought together in March 2020, when Buffalo gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire Diggs in a trade with Minnesota, the duo went on to re-write many of Buffalo's single-season passing and scoring records, and lead the team to four straight AFC East titles.
Diggs, now 30, also brought an inescapable sense of drama with him in raising questions about his commitment to the Bills and whether his tight relationship with Allen had soured.
A day before being traded, Diggs posted a message, “You sure?” on the social media platform X in response to someone suggesting he wasn’t essential to Allen’s success.
Whatever hard feelings, if any, lingered as Buffalo opened its voluntary workout sessions this week were not apparent from Allen or coach Sean McDermott, who also addressed reporters for the first time since Diggs was traded.
“Stef’s a great player, really enjoyed our time together. Won a lot of games and he was a huge factor in winning those games. We’ll miss him,” McDermott said. “You never replace a player like Stef Diggs, and we wish him well.”
Allen turned his focus to the future and a Bills team that spent much of the offseason retooling an aging and expensive roster.
Aside from trading Diggs, salary cap restrictions led to Buffalo cutting respected center Mitch Morse, the breakup of a veteran secondary that had been together since 2017, and the team unable to afford re-signing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis.
“I don’t think it’s a wrong thing or a bad thing to get younger,” said Allen, entering his seventh NFL season. “I think it’s an opportunity for myself to grow as a leader. And to bring along some of these young guys and new guys that we’ve brought in to our team. And that’s an opportunity, frankly, that I’m very excited about."
Despite the departures, the Bills offense is not exactly lacking even though general manager Brandon Beane is expected to target selecting a receiver with his first pick — currently 28th overall — in the draft next week.
Receiver Khalil Shakir enters his third year and tight end Dalton Kincaid enter his second following promising seasons. Buffalo also added veteran experience in signing free agent receiver Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins.
While Beane acknowledged the Bills lack a true No. 1 receiver, he noted there’s less urgency to fill that spot now than in 2020 because of how much the offense has developed under Allen.
“Now that Josh has ascended to the player he is, is that a requirement? I don’t think so,” Beane said.
Diggs’ role also began diminishing in the second half of last season, which coincided with Joe Brady replacing Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator. Brady placed an emphasis on adding balance to a pass-heavy attack and getting more receivers involved, which led to an uptick in production for Shakir and Kincaid.
While Diggs’ numbers dropped, Buffalo’s win total increased.
With the Bills at 6-6, Diggs ranked third in the NFL with 83 catches, seventh with 969 yards and tied for third with eight TDs receiving. Buffalo then closed the season with five straight wins in which Diggs combined for 24 catches for 214 yards and no scores.
”(Diggs) meant a lot. You look at the statistics, they don’t lie,” Allen said, in referring to Diggs topping 100 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Buffalo. “I don’t get paid to make changes on the team. I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team.”