2020 NFL Draft

The Texans 2020 Draft Class

The Texans 2020 Draft Class

With all the offseason player personnel moves, turmoil, and buffonery, it's finally come to an end. The draft is now over. Head coach, GM, master and ruler of all things on Kirby, Bill O'Brien had an okay draft. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't a homerun. I wrote about their first pick Ross Blacklock yesterday. Let's take a look at the rest of their 2020 draft class:

3rd Round #90 Overall: Jonathan Greenard, Edge, Florida

Jonathan Greenard

NFL.com

Listed as an EDGE in his NFL.com draft profile, Greenard lined in multiple outside rush positions. Whether he had his hand in the dirt, standing, left, or right side, he showed flashes in his time at Florida as well as in Louisville. His 40 time may scare some off as to his explosiveness, but pass rushers don't have to sprint 40 yards to get to the quarterback. At 6'3 and 263lbs, he has ridiculously long arms at 34 7/8 inches. Not sure if he'll start from day one, but if he shows any pass rush ability, he should considering this team's lack of a true pass rush presence outside J.J. Watt. I look forward to seeing what he and Blacklock can do to help this defense.

4th Round #126 Overall: Charlie Heck, T, North Carolina

Charlie Heck

NFL.com

Given the massive extention they gave Laremy Tunsil and 1st round pick invested in Tytus Howard, Heck was most likely a depth pick. At 6'8 and 311lbs, he's a very tall tackle and his 34 1/8 inch arm length is pretty good. Don't expect him to step in and play any time soon. If he does, it means one of the top two guys is hurt. By him being a coach's kid, dad is an offensive lineman coach in the league, he's been around the game long enough and should be well-versed. His draft profile gives you more insight as to the type of player he's projected to be.

4th Round #141 Overall: John Reid, CB, Penn State

John Reid

NFL.com

Reid is a smallish CB with decent speed, but I was more impressed with his 3 cone and shuttle drill times. Those show off agility and burst. His 4.49 40 was decent. His most impressive stat from the combine: 20 reps on the bench press. That isn't always indicative of playing strength, but impressive nonetheless. While I don't expect Reid to compete for much playing time initially, he may show enough moxy to warrant a few reps here and there. He fits the profile of a practice/effort guy, AKA the O'Brien type.

5th Round #171 Overall: Isaiah Coulter, WR, Rhode Island

Isaiah Coulter

NFL.com

At 6'2 198lbs and running a 4.45 40, Coulter has that size/speed combo often sought after in WRs. Although he played against lesser competition, Coulter showed enough to warrant a late round flyer with 72 catches for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns last year. He has developmental traits which made him desirable according to his draft profile. The WR room is crowded as presently constructed. Look for Coulter to get some action if that room is cleared up some, especially given the injury history of some of the guys that are in there.

The best part of this draft was seeing O'Brien blow a gasket around the time he took Greenard. Rumor has it the Lions backed out of a trade and that caused him to blow up. Doing so while your kid is a few feet away and on national television is the most O'Brien thing he could've done. After his exchange with a fan and other incidents, you can no longer be surprised at his actions. Blacklock was a steal. Greenard may be a player. Heck seems like a smart guy and quality backup. Reid is a competitor and Coulter has some physical gifts. Nothing special. If Blacklock dominates like I think he can, he will make this draft class look a lot better than it does now. The lack of a 1st rounder made this draft, and next year's, more difficult to find top end talents. Until they have 1st round picks, look forward to more meh in the draft.

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Jose Altuve will hit leadoff for Houston in the opener against Baltimore. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Friday night looking to protect their lead in the AL West and build momentum as the calendar edges deeper into August. They’ll open a three-game weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles — a matchup that, on paper, tilts heavily in Houston’s favor.

Framber Valdez takes the mound for the Astros in the opener, bringing an 11-5 record, 2.97 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP into his 24th start of the season. The left-hander has been a reliable anchor for Houston’s rotation all year, capable of handling both high-leverage situations and deep outings, and he’ll be tasked with quieting a Baltimore lineup that’s been ice cold of late.

The Orioles counter with right-hander Brandon Young, still searching for his first win in the majors. Young has endured a rough debut season, going 0-6 with a 6.70 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. Baltimore will need him to find some early rhythm to have a chance, particularly against a Houston offense that has begun to heat up.

Carlos Correa has been Houston’s hottest bat over the past 10 games, going 16-for-40 with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Orioles’ top offensive threat remains catcher Adley Rutschman, who has nine homers and 27 RBIs, while infielder Jordan Westburg has added some pop with two homers in his last 10 games.

Baltimore has dropped six of its last 10 games, batting just .184 over that span and being outscored by 19 runs. Houston, by contrast, has gone 6-4 in its last 10, scoring enough to outpace opponents despite a 4.50 team ERA during that stretch.

This marks the first meeting between the Astros and Orioles this season. With 37 wins already at home and 14 of their next 17 games coming against teams with losing records, Houston sees this series as a prime opportunity to add wins and tighten its grip on a playoff bye — while keeping the pressure squarely on the AL West chase.

Starting lineup

Right away, you'll notice Jeremy Pena (illness) is out.

Altuve will DH and hit leadoff, with Correa hitting second (3B), and Jesus Sanchez batting third (LF).

Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Ramon Urias (2B), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Cam Smith (RF).


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