Draft Rewind 2004 - Matt Schaub - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about MATT SCHAUB: Virginia, 6054 240 5.01. Very tall with a somewhat slender build. Started some as a sophomore. Very productive starter the past two seasons. Missed some action as a senior with a shoulder injury. Pocket passer with adequate setup quickness. Holds the ball fairly high. Has a smooth, quick delivery — pushes the ball a bit at times. Poised. Stands in nicely under pressure — will make a throw with a defender bearing down on him. Not real elusive. Has adequate mobility. Comfortable rolling and throwing on the move. High percentage passer — efficient in the short passing game. Accurate with good touch and timing. Does a nice job on screens. Throws a tight spiral. Can gun the intermediate ball but he lacks a powerful arm and is not as effective throwing deep as he is short. Plays with confidence — sees the field well but will throw into coverage looking to make plays. Intelligent. Originally drafted by Atlanta.

Draft Rewind 2009 - Antoine Caldwell - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about ANTOINE CALDWELL: Alabama, 6033 307 5.27. Four-year starter. Versatile enough to play both guard and center. Durable and smart. Must work to bend his knees because he has long legs. Needs more functional strength. Question inside awareness at times. Struggled to adjust on inside blitz pickup. Demonstrates ability to recover. A good athlete with a thick lower body. Stays on his feet and occupies defender if he plays with good knee bend. If he gets high he can get knocked back and bulled over. Effective to slip through to the second level and cuts off linebackers. Good balance and foot movement in pass protection if he keeps his head up. Does both the conventional and shotgun snaps. Lacks strength to drive block in the run game. Position wall off blocker. OSR:26/47. Fourth/ fifth round. (A-34, H-10 1/2, BP-23, 10-1.78).

Draft Rewind 2005 - Shaun Cody - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about SHAUN CODY: Southern Cal, 6040 293 5.06. Intelligent and aware player. Good interior instincts to feel and read play. Quick to read and react and get in on plays. Sudden initial quickness to get into and off of blocks. Outstanding lateral movement to slide and clear his feet in traffic. Plays under his pads with good knee bend and leverage. Can be explosive when he uncoils. Flashes ability to dominate his opponent. Can lock out and control the blocker with his hands, press off, shed, and get in on tackle. Outstanding use of his hands. Relentless to the ball with his intensity. Very good range, speed, and takes good angles in pursuit. Will sacrifice his body to make a tackle. As a tackler he is effective, explosive and a wrap up technician. Has an explosive power rush with good anticipation and take off. Pushes the pocket and is especially effective on inside stunts. When on an edge he can speed rush and has a burst to run to the corner and close off blocks. Technique conscious player who uses his hand strength and quick hands to execute a pass rush or defend the run. Versatile enough to play inside or outside in a 4/ 3 or 3/4 defensive scheme. Could be stronger at the point of attack at times and grab grass to create a pile. Will lose his knee bend and get high and rolled out at times. A high motor great effort player who will be an asset to any team that drafts him. Plays disciplined within defensive scheme. A disruptive, relentless player with good foot mobility and athletic ability. Usually draws two or three blockers per play, but works to the quarterback until the whistle. Effective on twist stunts and plays good on his feet. Makes a lot of “hustle” plays. Plays hard every down. (Originally drafted by Detroit)

Draft Rewind 2003 - Andre Johnson - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about ANDRE JOHNSON: Miami, 6020 230 4.40. Junior eligible. Two year starter. Improving. Imposing specimen. Tall and sturdy with a muscular upper body and very long arms for a wide receiver. Excellent athlete. Still a bit raw as a route runner but he shows a burst out of his cuts and is a physical over the middle target. Legitimate deep threat with a pullaway gear. Is an aggressive snatcher who attacks the ball but has inconsistent hands. Outstanding leaper — dangerous in jump ball situations. Playmaker after the catch — has a quick stutterstep move to beat the first tackler. Tough competitor. Physical blocker — explosive when taking on linebackers and safeties on running plays. Can overpower and sustain downfield when going against smaller defenders. Not quite as polished or productive as most top receiving prospects, but he has superb tools.

Draft Rewind 2009 - Arian Foster - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about ARIAN FOSTER: Tennessee, 6006 226 4.60. Started 33 games over the past four years. Rotated with Montario Hardesty. Versatile back that can run and catch. Power runner that can turn the corner. Good balance. Effective on the inside zone running plays out of the one back set. Question ball security. Best running between the tackles. Lacks long finish speed. One speed downhill runner with limited burst. Ball control type back. Appeared to shut it down his senior year and was not nearly as productive as in previous years. Upright runner that lacks the power he showed previously. Lacked consistency and the ability to hold onto the ball. Lacked the confidence to be a playmaker at crunch time. Not dependable and reliable to make the plays when needed. Injury history is a concern. Question competitiveness. Long arms. Left the Senior Bowl with a hamstring injury after the first day. Did not workout at the Combine. Seventh round. (A-33 3/8, H-9 7/8, BP-23, SS-4.53).

Draft Rewind 2009 - Brian Cushing - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about BRIAN CUSHING: Southern Cal, 6027 243 4.65. Three-year starter. Also started four games as a true freshman in 2005. Talented, instinctive three down linebacker that is injury prone. Missed time as a high school senior with an ankle sprain. Dislocated his shoulder and had surgery spring of his sophomore year at USC. Missed the spring of 2007 with a strained hamstring. Had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after spring practice. Sprained his left ankle and missed Nebraska and Washington State games, sprained his left ankle again and missed three games. That being said, he is very active and aware in the passing game by getting in the throwing lane. Flashes ability as an edge pass rusher. Talented, aggressive, and competitive player. Shows good explosion. Attacks blocker with good leverage and knee bend but is inconsistent leading with his hands. Quick in initial reactions and filling gaps. Gets downhill in a hurry and plays the backside cutback well. Takes good angles in pursuit and shows speed to close. Can get caught on the wrong side of a block. Good ability to get through the wash and find the ball. Shows some pass rush skills with a burst to close. Does a good job playing over a tight end with a solid jam and the ability to work through a zone block. Jams tight end well off the line and has the speed to cover man to man. Has some trouble with backs in space, but shows good zone awareness and a good break on the ball. Takes good drops with good range in coverage. Overall a solid prospect with good size, speed, and a high motor. Would make a solid Sam linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. OSR:4/34. First round. (A-32 1/2, H-10, BP-30, SS-4.22).

Draft Rewind 2006 - Mario Williams - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about MARIO WILLIAMS: North Carolina State, 6070 295 4.66. Junior eligible. Three-year starter. Rare talent. Can turn speed to power on the rush. A 20-year old true junior. Long arms and big hands. Uses a series of moves including a quick arm over. Sudden first step quickness. Exceptional lateral agility. Covers a lot of ground fast. A disruptive force. You must account for him. Quick hit and spin move. Can run the play down from the backside. Uses a counter to react to block. Can’t be single blocked. Goes for the strip. Dominating player. On the power rush his feet never stop. Has a burst and closing speed. Goes full speed on an X stunt and causes havoc and gets a sack. Covered a back down the sidelines on a wheel route. Quick to read after controlling opponent. Good reaction to blocking angles. Explosive off the edge. Good body control and balance. Stays on his feet. Flashes a stab and six inch punch. Explodes into the blocker. Strong and plays with leverage at the point. Good use of hands to separate from the blocker. Power/active legs. Mobility and speed to string out the play. Productive versus the run. Explosive wrap up tackler. Doesn’t lose ground. Plays square to line of scrimmage. Gets through traffic with urgency. Plays with a power base and lower body strength. Tenacious types of moves - slap, grab, swim, rip. Closing speed to quarterback. Flashes Reggie White’s patented ‘hump’ move. Needs to elevate his consistency every game and every play. Some games he played with good leverage and hand use, others he had a breakdown in technique and played high. Top five pick. (A-34 1/8, H-10 1/4, BP-35, 10-1.61).

Draft Rewind 2009 - Connor Barwin - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about CONNOR BARWIN: Cincinnati, 6035 256 4.60. Started one year at defensive end. Quick hands and feet. Long arms and big hands. Played tight end from 2005-2007. Our top rated athlete at two positions at the Combine - defensive end and tight end. An athletic work in progress. Because of the value of a pass rusher in the NFL, he is projected to line up on the defensive side of the ball. Explosive first step quickness. Plays square. Doesn’t get his shoulders turned. Looks like a natural outside linebacker. He played down in a four point stance. Stays on his feet. Can string out the blocker. Sheds quickly. Good speed and range. Takes smart angles. Good use of hands despite one year at the position. Plays low with good knee bend. Tough and physical in his play. Exceptional playing laterally. Shuffles his feet. Has quickness to slip blocks. Hits with a strong force and neutralizes. Hits with explosion. Knocks back sideways and back. Excellent body control. Can recover and regain balance. Intense in his play. Tenacious. Can defeat and ward off a block. Upfield burst on pass rush. Can flatten down line and make play with no wasted steps. Talented football player that is an exceptional athlete. Ascending player. 2008 stats: 53 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 8 passes deflected. Was a power forward on the Bearcat basketball team. Caught 31 passes as a junior tight end. Edge speed:left 1.91, right 2.30. OSR:1/30. First/second round. (A-33 3/4, H-10, BP-21, 10-1.58).

Draft Rewind 2006 - Owen Daniels - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about OWEN DANIELS: Wisconsin, 6033 253 4.65. Started 10 games in his four year career. Durability may be a problem with two knee surgeries on his left knee. Has the speed to go down the seam and to run all the tight end diagonal routes. Runs effective linebacker control routes. Former quarterback that had a good Combine workout. Good hands to pluck the ball out away from his body. Runs good routes and can adjust on the run. Big target in the short and medium zones. Shows good strength to run after catch and break tackles. Needs more strength and hand use to control defender as a blocker. Not a smash mouth blocker. Will compete. Good effort player. A smart and heady tight end playing in a run-oriented offense. Fifth/ sixth round. (A-31 3/4, H-9 1/2, BP-23, VJ-34.5).

Draft Rewind 2009 - James Casey - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about JAMES CASEY: Rice, 6030 246 4.75. Junior entry. Started 17 games over two years. Played minor league baseball for four years in the White Sox organization. Excellent hands to snatch a ball and demonstrates good body control. Can track and adjust to a poorly thrown pass. One of three players in NCAA history to rush, pass, and catch a touchdown in the same game. Versatile player that moved all over the formation in a no huddle spread offense. Good eyehand coordination. Short arms. Possesses good leaping ability with a 36" vertical jump. No hold up on the line of scrimmage. Good initial quickness. Can take punishment. Athletic and determined after catch. Will give effort on downfield blocks. Plays with knee bend and balance. Rounds his cuts at times. Not sharp. Can separate and get open this level. Some wasted motion in his change of direction. Uses his body to shield off a defender. Needs work as a blocker and in several phases of his game. Not for everyone. Best thing he does is catch the ball in his hands. Caught 138 passes for 1630 yards and 13 touchdowns in career. Went over 100 yards receiving in seven games in 2008. Holds for field goals and PATs. Will be a 25-year old rookie. Mature and consistent in his play. OSR:8/18. Fourth/fifth round. (A-30 5/8, H-9 1/2, BP-28, VJ-36).

Draft Rewind 2008 - Duane Brown - Houston Texans

What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about DUANE BROWN: Virginia Tech, 6041 315 5.09. Three-year starter. Former tight end that is naturally athletic. Long arms and big hands. Thick upper and lower body. Good use of hands. Light on his feet. Has a chance to learn and play all five line spots or be a blocking tight end. Versatility will make him valuable to any team. Mobile and strong. Good initial quickness. Strong week at the Shrine game. Demonstrates good body control and balance. Two point stance in pass protection. Quick hands to punch or control in run block. Can stone a pass rusher with his punch to stop a charge. Gets pop and push. Walls off the backside. Effective to block corner support on pull. Good initially. Needs to finish to the whistle. Plays on his feet. Will mirror and slide his feet to wall off edge rusher in pass protection. Solid senior year where he elevated his aggressiveness and techniques. OSR:6/42. 2nd/3rd round (34 1/4, H-10, BP-24, 10-1.78).

Draft Rewind 2010: Ben Tate, Houston Texans, Runningback

Ben Tate is playing like the running back the Texans drafted out of Auburn in 2010 before he broke his ankle. He rushed for 103 yards this past weekend against Miami and 116 yards against the Colts in week one. What Ourlads said about Tate:

Tate, Ben  Auburn 5107 220 4.42 Started 19 games in his career. Quick and explosive. Good vision and cutting ability. Strong lower body to break tackles. A hand catcher that makes a good effort as a pass protector. A downhill one cut zone runner. Has the strength to run inside and the speed to turn the corner. Can pick, slide, and accelerate through the hole. Plays in a spread formation but Auburn is a power running team. Has the strength to take a hit and maintain balance. Along with his pick and slide he has some slasher to his running style. Has the ability and vision to find and hit a crease. Good overall run skills and talent. Productive and creative as a runner. Elusive enough to make defenders miss. Uses a stiff arm to ward off tacklers. Hits ball hard up inside on the goal-line. A physical runner that can shuck tacklers. Will contribute on special teams. Kickoff return talent. Had 678 rushes for 3321 yards, 4.9 average, and 24 touchdowns over his career. Also caught 53 passes for 336 yards. Our top rated running back at the Combine. OSR:1/ 28. Second/third round. (A-31 1/2, H-9 1/8, BP-26, SS-4.11).

Houston Texans 2011 NFL Undrafted Free Agents

Notable Undrafted Free Agents:

Terrence Toliver,  LSU 6035 211 4.59
Two-year starter who is a big West Coast type wide receiver that runs slants, catches in a crowd, and is a stick and stay blocker. Toliver was not as productive as his talent warrants, due to the inconsistent play of the quarterbacks. Saved his big game for last with a sterling performance against Texas A and M in the Cotton Bowl. Caught two touchdown passes all season before his three against the Aggies. A big target with run after catch ability. Hands are inconsistent. Can make the tough catch or drop the routine pass. Struggles to drop his weight in and out of his cuts because of long legs. Picks up speed as he goes down the field. Can track and catch the deep overhead ball. Has some run after catch ability. Slippery after catch. Competitive to catch poorly thrown passes. Smooth receiver who can get off press coverage.

Jeff Maehl, Oregon 6007 190 4.59
Three-year starter. Slender build. A good route runner. Consistent and reliable hands. Struggles to separate in man to man coverage. Quick feet to get off press however. A former corner who was moved to wide receiver. Snatches the ball on bubble screens and has an upfield burst. Will go up in a crowd for the ball at the high point and come down with it. Was a better route runner in 2010 when he learned how to separate from defensive backs. Caught at least one pass in 34 consecutive games to end his career. In the BCS Championship game he caught 9 passes for 133 yards, including a BCS record, 81-yard catch. Also caught a 2-point conversion pass. A clutch receiver who is a producer, not a potential guy.

John Graves,  Virginia Tech 6030 286 5.15
Three-year starter who is instinctive and athletic. Does not play with functional strength. Gets bounced around inside. May project to a 3-4 five technique. A team captain. Good backside chase player. Plays better on the move. Lacks the strength to hold up to a double team. He gets rag-dolled at times. Always gives a good effort, but lacks strength in his upper and lower body. Football smart. A developmental player.

Lestar Jean, Florida Atlantic 6030 212 4.65
Two-year starter. An angular receiver with better than average hands. Deceptive speed. Can make the tough catch. Has decent contact balance. A high cut receiver who struggles to get off press coverage. Catches a lot of horizontal passes in the spread system and then gets upfield. Lacks the burst out of his cuts. Ran a 4.53 with the wind at his pro day and a 4.63 against the wind. Not an explosive off the line receiver, but a hard working possession type who will give a willing effort to block in the run game. Football is important to him. Was not offered any scholarships out of high school after a year of prep school. He took his highlight film in to FAU and they offered him a scholarship.

Zane Parr, Virginia 6041 281 4.78
Junior entry. Started 13 games. A developmental prospect who could have used another year in school. A good athlete with a quick first step. A five technique defensive end in a three man front. Must work to keep his pad level down. Needs more technique and strength to stop and stack in the run game at him. Inconsistent leverage on blocks. Needs more pass rushing technique or may be a run player only. Flashes good hand use and grab strength at times. A developmental player with measurables. (released by the Texans on 8-8-11)

Others:

Mister Alexander LBO   (Florida St)
Howard Barbieri OLG   (Rutgers)
Scooter Berry DLE   (West Virginia)
Bryan Braman LBO   (West Texas A and M)
Steven Friday LBO   (Virginia Tech)
Brett Hartmann P     (Central Michigan)
Peter Hendrickson OLT   (Tulane)
Matt Marcorelle LBI   (Delaware)
Guy Miller DLT   (Colorado State)
Darius Morris OLT   (Temple)
Zac Pauga RBF   (Colorado State)
Maurice Rolle DBF   (Louisiana-Lafayette)
Jason Teague DBC   (TCU)

Cheta Ozougwu, Houston Texans, 254th Pick, 7th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Ozougwu, Cheta Rice 6020 252 4.73
Cheta Ozougwu is a four-year starter that is athletic and fast twitch. A developmental linebacker, he needs more strength but brings some special teams ability to the table. Ourlads Scouting Services rated Ozougwu as a developmental player with draftable qualities.

Derek Newton, Houston Texans, 214th Pick, 7th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Newton, Derek Arkansas State 6047 311 5.01
Two-year starter. Junior college transfer with long arms. Plays right tackle. Better than average athlete. Plays with good foot quickness and balance. Stays engaged in the run game. Has decent arm length for a zone blocking tackle or guard projection. Plays on his feet. Pulls around and seals linebackers. Gets some push in the run game. A knee bender who has first step quickness. Good lower body flexibility. Can adjust on the run in the screen game. Active downfield. Mirrors and slides his feet as a pass protector. Needs technique work and more strength. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

TJ Yates, Houston Texans, 152nd Pick, 5th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Yates, TJ North Carolina 6030 219 5.10

Four-year starter who had a good senior year despite losing his best receiver, Greg Little, to an NCAA suspension. Was very inconsistent as a junior but weathered the storm and helped hold the team together in 2010. A ball control West Coast type quarterback. When he’s hot, he’s very good. Possesses above average athletic ability. Accurate short and medium. Holds the ball up and gets it out of his hand quickly. Average arm strength. Has active feet in the pocket. Ready to pass or sidestep a rush. Will force the ball under pressure at times. Doesn’t flush quickly. Gives the play a chance. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

Shiloh Keo, Houston Texans, 144th Pick, 5th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Keo, Shiloh Idaho 5114 219 4.75
Four-year starter. Received a medical red-shirt in 2008. Competed at the East/West Shrine game like Kobayashi at the Coney Island hotdog eat-off. Fearlessly returned punts, blocked a PAT, and made two tackles on special teams coverage. Physical on run support. Always around the ball. Made 358 tackles in his productive career and broke up 20 passes. He also picked off 11 passes. Built like a small linebacker. A big hitter with quick feet. A good athlete who plays with a fearless attitude. Comes downhill to support like a rolling ball of butcher knives. A full contact player. An intense player who will contribute on special teams coverage. Has some physical limitations like short arms but makes up for it with attitude. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

Rashad Carmichael, Houston Texans, 127th Pick, 4th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Carmichael, Rashad Virginia Tech 5100 192 4.56

Two-year starter who has the ability to play off man coverage. Can stick his foot in the ground and drive on the ball. Similar to several of the prototype Hokies that come into the league. Well-schooled in press and zone coverage. Has 10 interceptions the past two years. Solid to force and contain. Will not turn down a hit. A mentally tough competitor. Will contribute on special teams coverage. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

Brandon Harris, Houston Texans, 60th Pick, 2nd Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Harris, Brandon Miami 5094 191 4.53
Junior entry. Three-year starter. Shorter than ideal for a starting
corner, but has good leaping ability. Smooth in his turns with
good hip flexibility. Miami’s best one on one secondary defender. Struggled against big receiver, Michael Floyd from Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. Instinctive and competitive. Can play outside or man up in the slot. Has a quick burst to close suddenly or can make up ground. Plays faster than timed speed. Sudden to quick key and force the run and tackle. Good ball skills to play the ball down the field. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

Brooks Reed, Houston Texans, 42nd Pick, 2nd Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Reed, Brooks Arizona 6024 263 4.68
Three-year starter. Explosive first step quickness. Plays fast
and hard. Flies around the field. In a three end rotation. Good
lateral quickness to close down the off tackle seam. Projects to
a 3-4 outside edge rusher. Must develop counter moves. He
consistently gets pushed up the field past the quarterback. Great
desire to run back down. Caught Kendall Hunter 35 yards down
the field. Plays square with his toes to the goal and shuffles his
feet down the line of scrimmage. Will stand up and blitz the
same side as Ricky Elmore. Intense, competitive, and athletic
in his play. Has a quick spin move that frees him up at times.
Can leverage a tackle and run him back to the quarterback. Will
need work on his pass drops and pass coverage skills. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.