The NFLDraftguys staff is going simulate playing the GM of each of the 31 teams picking in the first round and justify their picks. You can look forward to a new pick every other day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.
Don't forget to go over to The 1.10 OTC Thread at The Shark Pool, where the authors and the best football community anywhere are discussing this question. The Shark Pool is part of Footballguys, the only place to get your fantasy football advice and analysis. If you haven't already done it, sign up for the footballguys email update, they scour the offseason news so you don't have to!
Follow the progress of the On The Clock Draft Board, where you can see exactly how the first round would play out if the NFLDraftguys staff were making the calls in the war room.
Sean Baca
With the 10th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the Houston Texans SHOULD select Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
It is not clear yet how the Texans will do with Schaub, but in the end, no one will succeed for long behind their current line. They feel they have their feature back for next year and re-signed Andre Johnson, so now it's time they give Matt Schaub some help.
Brown is an enormous tackle and that is the best way to describe his play. He dominates his man in run blocking and is excellent at utilizing his long arms and power in pass protection. To put it bluntly, he is a big bully on the field and will pay huge dividends in all facets of the run game. Andre is a playmaker down field, the running game requires a hole to make big plays and oh by the way, 43 sacks last year. The Texans may be in need of a QB by April but unless the new guy has a kevlar uniform, he'll suffer a similar fate if the line is not addressed.
Marc Faletti
With the 10th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans SHOULD select Leon Hall, CB, Michigan.
By choosing a DE over Vince Young and Reggie Bush last year, Houston clearly indicated they want to make their defense a powerhouse. If that's the case, they ought to invest in their defensive backfield, where only CB Dunta Robinson appears to be a legitimate long-term starter. Even Robinson's a bit overrated; while he tackles exceptionally well for a CB, he struggles to stay with WRs in coverage and appears more suited for a Cover 2 defense.
Leon Hall also got burned on occasion in college, but that's because Michigan left him on an island on nearly 100% of his snaps. Watch Hall for an entire game (even the 2006 Ohio State game) and you'll see a CB who stays with receivers, seldom bites on fakes, breaks well on the ball, and finishes with force. At worst, he's Dunta Robinson, but it's more likely he's Dunta Robinson with real cover skills. 2006 selections Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans could really use Leon Hall's help in 2007.
Cecil Lammey
With the 10th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans SHOULD select Leon Hall, CB, Michigan Wolverines.
The Texans have already added their (hopefully) franchise QB in trading down to get Matt Schaub from the Falcons. Now they need to hit some of their many positions of need. Having just missed out on Levi Brown, the Texans ease the pain by taking the best CB in this draft.
Leon Hall is a mad man. Don't let his size fool you, this kid has the heart of a Lion (the non-Matt Millen variety). While dropping back in coverage Hall is very adept at reading the QB's eyes and analyzing where the play should go. His run/pass recognition is the best in this class and his reaction time is amazing. However, he stands out the most when the ball is in the air. Hall is a ballhawk, plain and simple. Throw a pass his way and it will need to be better than perfect because more often than not, Hall will make a play on it. He knows how to get physical and drive through a receiver - often becoming the receiver himself and intercepting the pass. He makes the tough catch look easy, and his superior timing allows him to bat down balls with ease.
Coach Kubiak knows how to build an offense, and the addition of Schaub should help him tremendously. This pick will be the Texan's only pick in the 1st two rounds, so it has to count. Leon Hall can become everything that Dunta Robinson should've been - and then some.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 10th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the Houston Texans SHOULD select Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
A mauler like Levi Brown will continue to help put an end to the Texans O-line being one of the poorest in the league. The offense has just not been able to operate. Eric Winston seems to have one of the tackle positions held down, but Charles Spencer, who seemed on his way to becoming a stalwart starter, suffered a leg injury that may render him a shell of the player he was.
The Texans have a chance to have Adrian Peterson fall to them at this pick, and they should also consider whomever they have as the #1 CB on their board. Amobi Okoye and Patrick Willis are the blue chippers left, but Ryans is occupying Willis's position, and the Texans spent a first on Travis Johnson just two years ago. Okoye is the kind of player with seemingly unlimited upside that is worth taking even when a team doesn't have an obvious need, so I wouldn't count him out, but Brown seems like the pick here.
