There has been a lot of discussion in recent weeks about the Houston Texans and what they are going to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The obvious choice for Houston would be South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney but it appears that the team is still considering the idea of trading out of the spot. Clowney just doesn’t fit what the Texans do with their defense apparently and some reports have Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack being the better fit.
If the Texans are smart though, they would consider trading down if they really want to get Mack as a better fit as he isn’t a No. 1 overall pick. If the Texans can work their way down to the No. 3 or 4 spot, Mack is likely still going to be there especially with the teams in front of them. St. Louis isn’t going to take Clowney at No. 2, Jacksonville would love to get Mack but a chance at Clowney may cause the team to want to move up. Cleveland with the No. 4 pick is more focused on a quarterback right now.
Atlanta has been reportedly thinking about moving up from the No. 6 spot up to No. 1 but may not have Clowney in mind but Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson instead. The bottom line is that if the Texans want to get the best value for that pick, it may be in their best interest to move down a couple of spots, secure another couple picks including a first-round selection next season and fill in the holes they have all over the field. Clowney though is the best player in this draft and there is only one play that needs to be seen to show what he can do.
There are plenty of teams who want Clowney and it will be very interesting to see whether or not Houston decides to pull the trigger on a trade on Thursday night when the 2014 draft begins. If they don’t, the biggest thing will be who they decide to pick. Will it be Clowney? Could it be Johnny Manziel? Is Mack really an option at No. 1? These are all very valid questions that will get answers sooner than later. The No. 1 pick discussion is going to rage all the way up to 8 p.m. Eastern Thursday at Radio City Music Hall.