2014 NFL Mock Draft: What Will the Houston Texans Take Do with the No. 1 Pick?

2014 NFL Mock Draft: What Will the Houston Texans Take Do with the No. 1 Pick? This weekend, four NFL franchises will battle it out to decide who plays in Super Bowl XLVII. For the rest of the teams in the league, the focus has already shifted to deciding which players to target in the 2014 NFL Draft. After losing their final 14 games of the season, the Houston Texans own the No.1 pick in April’s draft, and their selection will ultimately set the ball rolling. With that in mind, here is an early lock at the five options that make the most sense for Houston.

1.      Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville Cardinals

The idea behind this pick is simple. The Texans went from a playoff team to the worst team in the NFL because their quarterback play suddenly became atrocious. Enter Bridgewater, who has an NFL arm and NFL body and was incredibly efficient while playing in a traditional pro-style system in college at Louisville. Keep in mind that the Texans still have plenty of talent on offense and defense, and if they solve their QB problems, they could make an immediate return to the playoffs. Drafting the most NFL-ready player at their biggest position of need makes a lot of a sense, and for now, it seems like the most-likely scenario for Houston.

2.      Johnny Manziel, Quarterback, Texas A&M Aggies

Winning games is always going to be the official No.1 goal for any NFL franchise, but selling tickets isn’t far behind. Adding a Heisman-winning, headline-making Texas protect like Manziel is going to create instant buzz for the Texans with their fans. Plus, he might end up being the best offensive weapon in the draft. There are always going to be health concerns with a dual-threat QB like Manziel, but he has an NFL-quality arm and a knack for making explosive plays. He should instantly breathe new life into an offense that still has weapons like Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. The potential Manziel offers could be too much for Houston too resist.

3.      Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End, South Carolina Gamecocks

Quarterback is the glaring need for the Texans, but as I have already mentioned, there are enough other pieces in place that a quality free agent could also be an option under center for a year or two. In the meantime, Houston could go with a best-player-available approach and snag Clowney. Can you imagine having J.J. Watt rushing the passer on one end with Clowney coming off the other edge? I’m sure the Texans’ front office is at least entertaining the possibility of creating a potentially unstoppable pass rush, and if Houston decides not to take a QB, Clowney seems like the obvious choice.

4.      Trade the Pick

There are a lot of teams in the NFL desperate for a quarterback, and the only sure-fire way for teams to draft the one they think is the next franchise-changer is to acquire the No. 1 pick. With the new rookie salary scale, more teams than ever before are looking to trade up. Meanwhile, Houston is in the strange situation that an otherwise playoff-caliber roster was poisoned by terrible quarterback play so it’s not like the Texans have a ton of glaring needs. If the Texans can trade down for more picks, they could still address their QB need in free agency while using their additional picks to draft a QB that needs some time to develop as well as some extra pieces.

5.      Jake Matthews, Offensive Tackle, Texas A&M Aggies

This is a longshot, but the Texans begin going through the interviewing and scouting process and decide that they don’t feel Clowney or a quarterback is worth the top pick and they can’t find a trading partner, Matthews is an option as the safest bet to be an excellent player for the foreseeable future. Offensive linemen tend to be easier to evaluate, and Matthews possesses the strength, size and technique to play at a high level at right or left tackle. Plus, it’s not like upgrading the offensive line is ever a bad thing. At the very least, Matthews is likely on Houston’s radar as a low-risk last resort.

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