Jan 15, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson (80) is defended by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Laradarius Webb (21) in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at M

With the collapse of the Indianapolis Colts last season, the Houston Texans finally were able to win their first division title in franchise history in 2011 despite injuries to some key players and lost their best defender, Mario Williams, via free agency. With that in mind, here’s their 2012 draft:

1 26 Whitney MercilusLB Illinois
3 68 DeVier Posey WR Ohio State
3 76 Brandon Brooks G Miami (Ohio)
4 99 Ben Jones C Georgia
4 121 Keshawn Martin WR Michigan State
4 126 Jared Crick DE Nebraska
5 161 Randy Bullock K Texas A&M
6 195 Nick Mondek T Purdue

A glance at their top pick makes one realize the loss of Super Mario wasn’t “lost” on the organization. Whitney Mercilus was a bit of a one-year wonder at Illinois, but he did have a monster final college season, leading the NCAA in sacks. The Texans hope he can translate that and do so quickly as a rookie and earn the nickname “Ming.”

WR DeVier Posey is the latest attempt to put an outside threat opposite All-Pro WR Andre Johnson. Posey has good size, speed, soft hands and strength to play the outside.

The ensuing 2 picks show that they want to improve their interior offensive line for Arian Foster in Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme.

WR Keshawn Martin from Michigan State is a smaller guy that should find a home in the slot and is an accomplished punt returner that could steal Jacoby Jones’ job there and DE Jared Crick is a strong run defender that lacks great pass-rush skills but will get a few sacks due to his relentless, high-motor style.

It looks like their draft could produce up to five immediate starters or sub-package/rotational players that should see the field quite a bit. For a playoff team, that’s huge.

The one issue they cannot solve is QB Matt Schaub’s durability issues. The Texans had to go 3 deep at the QB spot last season and didn’t have Schaub for the stretch run or the playoffs. While the backups played well, including rookie T.J. Yates, they can’t fully replace Schaub. This offense has several bona fide stars with WR Andre Johnson and RB Arian Foster so they are capable of making a lot of noise. So far in mini-camp, they’ve been bitten by the injury bug much like last season so we’ll have to wait and see how everyone is when September rolls around.

Defensively, the Texans dominated in 2011 under first-year DC and former Cowboys HC Wade Phillips. The scary part is that they’re also a young defense with their oldest projected starter being Pro-Bowl defensive end Antonio Smith at age 31.

They have a number of star players on the defensive side as well, even after losing Super Mario to free agency and the Buffalo Bills. Brian Cushing played well moving to ILB from OLB last season when they switched to the 3-4 from the 4-3. Rookie J.J. Watt could easily have been DROY and should dominate in his second season. Another 2011 rookie, Brooks Reed, had a few sacks as he helped fill in for Mario Williams, who was lost to IR after week 5 last year. Connor Barwin was moved to OLB and played well also.

The added LB Bradie James through free agency to add into the mix. Their other notable signing was RB Justin Forsett from the Seahawks as a third-string RB behind Foster and Ben Tate and should see action on special teams.

The secondary appears to be in good shape as well with Danieal Manning at safety and Pro-Bowl cornerback Jonathan Joseph returning. Glover Quin played well moving to strong safety so Phillips had to be pleased with the way his squad gelled with so many players at new positions.

The only issue I can see the Texans possibly struggling with is cohesion in the passing game. With Schaub being injury-prone and Andre Johnson showing a recent propensity to nagging injuries, those two rookie WRs need to come in and start producing very quickly. TE Owen Daniels is a solid player but unspectacular when compared to the recent trend of players like Vernon Davis, Rob Gronkowski, or Jermaine Gresham. The Texans didn’t attempt to upgrade there through the draft nor free agency.

Considering their vault to the top of the division and Indy’s fall along with their roster changes and factoring in injuries last year, I’d say the Houston Texans took…

…one step forward. They made the playoffs with a rookie QB at the helm for a couple of games and that means the rest of the team is very solid. They lost a big free agent, Super Mario, but replaced him with as good a rookie as they could in Whitney Mercilus. While I don’t expect a rookie to come right in and fill those shoes, the rest of the team should be able to pick up the slack there. They also made a serious attempt to get Andre Johnson some help on the outside. If Schaub can stay healthy, this team is a Super Bowl contender and matches up with the Patriots particularly well should they find themselves in the AFC Championship Game in January, 2014.

Next up, the Indianapolis Colts.

Oct 16, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) runs with the ball and scores a touchdown as New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross (31) chases during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/The Star-Ledger via US PRESSWIRE

In 2011, the Buffalo Bills started strong but didn’t have the overall talent and depth to last the season and faded. The longtime lower-echelon team from the AFC East has been on the rise since their last couple of first-round flops, DE Aaron Maybin and RB C.J. Spiller. Of all the AFC East teams, the Bills look to have the best shot at giving the Patriots a scare in 2012 for the divisional crown.

Here’s their 2012 draft:

1 10 Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
2 41 Cordy Glenn T Georgia
3 69 T.J. Graham WR North Carolina State
4 105 Nigel Bradham LB Florida State
4 124 Ron Brooks CB LSU
5 144 Zebrie Sanders T Florida State
5 147 Tank Carder LB Texas Christian
6 178 Mark Asper G Oregon
7 251 John Potter K Western Michigan

Let’s first take a bit of a look here first. I think they had one of the top drafts of any NFL team, and I’m not even particularly high on Stephon Gilmore. While he has good speed and is very crafty, he is susceptible to the double-move and cannot be left on an island. I don’t think he’ll ever be a “shut-down” type corner, and at #10 overall one would think that would be the bar for the position.

The Bills fooled nearly all outside observers by taking Cordy Glenn early in round two and announced plans on making him ultimately their left tackle. Everyone (including myself) felt like the 350 pound light-footed Glenn would be asked to be a guard where we thought he’d dominate. Uh-uh. Ever since the Bills rather inexplicably got rid of cornerstone LT Jason Peters several years ago, they’ve struggled to replace him and even refused to use a high pick on the position until now. Glenn has the talent to succeed at LT but a lot of polish need be applied. Keep an eye on him though because he’s one of those freakish guys who are apparently too quick for their mass. Glenn is one that defies the eye test as he can move around.

Think former RB Jerome “The Bus” Bettis and his quick feet and that should give you an idea of his athleticism. For good measure, they added T Zebrie Sanders in the 5th round – a guy who some had mocked as high as the bottom of the first round. In the 2012 draft, ALL linemen slid down but probably none as much as Sanders did. CB Ron Brooks in the 4th was overshadowed at LSU by Peterson and Claiborne and could be a steal for them.

Perhaps the Bills feel differently, but I saw too many South Carolina games where Gilmore got burned on the deep ball. That’s something he’ll have to work on, but the Bills are going to be particularly difficult for opposing teams to game-plan for their defense. Gilmore CAN excel early if he’s in a zone-coverage scheme or some sort of zone-blitzing scheme, and this brings me to my next point: the Bills have a number of players that can play different schemes. Bills GM Buddy Nix even said during the combine that since defenses are in the nickel about half the time, “scheme versatility” is a high priority.

With that in mind, they went out and got the most coveted defensive free agent in years when Mario Williams hit the market. The 300 pounder has already proven he can play a 3-4 OLB/DE or put his hand in the dirt more often as a 4-3 end. We all know of the man’s skill, production, and reputation. This is a team building with one goal in mind:

Beat the New England Patriots.

When you’ve got linemen and linebackers that can play multiple positions in multiple fronts, it’s a “two-fer.” One, it makes “matchup issues” with opposing offenses somewhat less problematic in general and two, it creates doubt in opposing offenses. Just because the Bills have a particular 11-man group in the huddle on defense doesn’t necessarily tell you who will line up where or even what formation they might use.

With Super Mario chasing and hitting Tom Brady, the idea is to limit the time he has to make a decision. This is where Gilmore DOES make sense. If they’re in a zone, Gilmore will bait QBs and nobody – not even Tom Brady – is immune to falling for it once in a while IF he’s under constant pressure. Gilmore’s biggest strengths are his cunning in zone pass defense, his leadership, and his tackling.

Having such liberal passing rules in today’s game, the only proven way to slow down a good passing attack is with pressure. You just do not see those “coverage sacks” these days as you did 10 years ago and everybody knows it. If Shwane Merriman can show any sort of his old form of 4 or 5 years ago, things are going to be brutal for opposing quarterbacks.

My concerns about Gilmore’s deep man-coverage ability aside, the Bills look to be building a very intimidating defense and are using every legal trick in the book to help that uncertainty fester in opposing teams’ offensive game plans.

On the offensive side, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to have people pushing for his job every year but nobody has unseated him. This year, at least, he’s “The” guy. He’s played inconsistently at times but he hasn’t had a lot of weapons at his disposal. I’ve always thought RB Fred Jackson was underrated and he’s proven it the past couple of seasons. He did suffer an injury last season which in my opinion was the teetering point that started the slide after their unexpectedly good first half of the season and C.J. Spiller actually had a couple of productive games for them as his replacement. If Spiller can finally live up to expectations, the Bills ground game could be as potent as anyone’s. The potential is there at least.

Buffalo’s main weakness now is the lack of targets for Fitz to throw to. WR Steve Johnson had 1,004 yards and 7 scores last year but they don’t have a proven guy to pair with him and no threats at the TE position. That’s a problem they need to solve and do so with their existing roster if they’re going to push the Pats. I think they’re one more year away.

My feeling on the team overall is that they’ve got the pieces in place on defense to be a top-5 or top-10 squad but still have some work to do on the offensive side. They’re a team that has been making strides towards respectability in fits and starts. Since they finished last year fading instead of improving, my grade for 2012 is….

One step forward.

Next up: the Carolina Panthers.

Jan 1, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn (10) throws a pass during the game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Lions 45-41. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

DENVER AND TENNESSEE: Well the Peyton Manning saga continues today in Durham as he’s working out for the Denver Broncos. The hometown Titans is the other team in the Manning sweepstakes and yesterday they re-signed Pro Bowl Guard Steve Hutchinson and signed Peyton’s old Center, Jeff Saturday. Clearly, Titan owner Bud Adams is doing all he can to sign the HOF QB. With Denver sending the team jet to North Carolina to work Manning out, however, and it appears that the Titans are not a lock to land him. Since Manning is from Tennessee, the Titans would be the natural fit, but I think Peyton developed a good relationship with John Elway during his visit to Colorado. After all, who understands a situation like Manning’s than another HOF QB? The Titans are glad they at least have Jake Locker and hope he has learned the ways of the NFL after a disappointing rookie season. He has work to do. Denver picks at 25, and with a deep DT class, they’re probably eyeing a Michael Brockers and hoping he falls to them there. The Titans probably have one of the best OLs in the NFL by signing Saturday and Hutch (too bad Saturday’s last name isn’t Starsky) and should be looking for WRs and CBs as they lost Cortland Finnegan in FA to the Rams. ‘Dre Kirkpatrick is an option in round one as there’s a good possibility he will be available when the Titans are on the clock at 20. If Manning does sign, they could take a look at a Kendall Wrignt or roll the dice on a Stephen Hill to give the oft-injured Kenny Britt some help.

SEATTLE AND MIAMI: Manning isn’t the only Free Agent that can send ripples through the draft process, either. QB Matt Flynn is visitng with the Seattle Seahawks and is thought to be going to Miami next. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has swung and missed on things lately more often than batters facing Nolan Ryan back in the day and they appear to be an organization heading the wrong direction. Trading away Brandon Marshall can’t make Flynn happy as Davone Bess is now their top WR. V-Jax signed elsewhere and Miami’s cupboard is bare at the position other than Bess, but they received 2 3rd round picks for Marshall so they’ll be draft-nimble. The big name FA WRs have signed – V-Jax in Tampa Bay and Marques Colston re-signed with the Saints, so look for Miami to improve their WR corps with at least 2 selections in the draft and take a hard look at Undrafted Free Agents post-draft. However, they still need help at RT, a pass-rushing DE, and a competent FS. At #8, they’ll likely pick Best Available because it should be RT Reilly Reiff. Reiff is basically a Matt Kalil clone with better run-blocking skills and has near-flawless game tape. He’s big, strong, nimble, durable and can play either tackle spot. What more do you want from a guy, seriously? Miami HC Joe Philbin may want to rebuild from the inside out, so shoring up the OL is likely their top priority as they do have one good pass rusher in Cameron Wake already. If the brass can convince Flynn they’re going to go OL at 8 to protect him first, and along with Pro-Bowl LT Jake Long, Flynn will likely sign in Miami. If not, look for the ‘Fins to take Ryan Tannehill at that 8 spot and sit a year behind Matt Moore. If they do sign Flynn, Tannehill likely goes to Seattle at 12 and I’ve said from the start that Miami is Flynn’s most natural spot since Philbin was his OC last season in Green Bay. Signing Flynn would mean the ‘Fins have a system QB running the system that he’s shown great aptitude for. Then again, look at the receivers in Green Bay, then look at Miami’s. Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, and Clyde Gates? Thank goodness for Reggie Bush; if he stays healthy again in 2012, he’ll likely be the team MVP. The strange thing is the ‘Fins also have intimate knowledge of Ryan Tannehill since new Dolphins OC Mike Sherman was Texas A and M’s Head Coach last year, so the Dolphins are armed with what no other NFL franchise can possibly have. It will be interesting to see which direction they press. If somehow the Seahawks grab Flynn in Free Agency, Mark Ingram won’t get by them at 12. If he’s gone, Luke Kuechley would help seal the middle of that defense, or perhaps WR Michael Floyd will make a nice toy for Flynn as they already have a solid OL. If the Dolphins like a particular WR other than Floyd, they have the draft-pick firepower this year to trade back into the latter half of the first round where Hill should be available, and he has Brandon Marshall-type size, sub-4.4 speed that Marshall lacked, and as far as we know, just one personality. The big knock on him is he played in an option offense at Georgia Tech. The upside is comparisons to Megatron. If this kid can learn and has a good work ethic, he could wind up being the steal of the entire draft. He’s that talented.

JACKSONVILLE must realize Blaine Gabbert isn’t the answer as they signed former Dolphin QB Chad Henne to shore up play there. Henne’s a decent QB, but his years in Miami proved he’s a bit timid as far as taking many chances downfield. He’s also somewhat erratic not game to game, but play to play. One pass you see and go “wow, nice throw” and the next you scratch your head wondering what he was thinking. His nickname in Miami was “Captain Checkdown,” so that should say something right there. He was rumored to be liked by the Jets, as their OC is Former Dolphins HC Tony Sparano, but Mark Sanchez’ hissy over the Manning talk probably forced their hand and they didn’t pursue Henne. Jacksonville still needs WRs in a desperate way and the same goes for 4-3 DEs. Since the Jags have a history of drafting busts there, they should love Quinton Coples at #7 overall. He probably is about as close as you can get to a lock at this point, and for the record I’m coming around on Coples and his “taking plays off” label. His rep isn’t nearly as bad as a Vernon Gholston’s was, and frankly DEs get tired chasing the QB every play over and over again. Hopefully the new regime in Jacksonville can make sure Coples’ head is on straight and keep him motivated. If they pass on him, they’ll take a WR. It will be very interesting if Justin Blackmon somehow falls here, but he shouldn’t get by the Rams at 6.

SAN DIEGO signed WRs Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal in an attempt to replace Vincent Jackson’s production with two lesser players. Both have their strengths, but neither one is a guy who can help take over a game or make that big play regularly. Royal is a possession guy and has a 1,000 yard season on his resume. The upside is the Chargers should be able to turn attention to their defense and OL in the draft. Hard to say exactly which direction they’ll be going, but a Tackle wouldn’t surprise me – it’s a deep draft for OTs that can play LT, so guys like Stanford’s Johnathan Martin, OSU’s Mike Adams, and FSU’s Zebrie Sanders are all possibilities here and the Chargers need some youth injected into the tackle position. Otherwise, they’ll address the front seven. At 18, Courtney Upshaw or Big Board-riser Lavonte David out of Nebraska would make sense.

BUFFALO: The biggest defensive Free Agent signing this year was the Bills landing Super Mario and making him the highest-paid defender in history. He’s shown great versatility in his career in going from a 4-3 DE and successfully becoming a 3-4 OLB – at 300 pounds! OUCH!!! The point is, he can play either spot and do damage. Give the Bills some credit; they’ve been hitting that porous defense with some talented young players (the failed Aaron Maybin experiment, Marcell Dareus, and now Super Mario) and their offense has, in the last couple of years, been able to move the ball and put some points up. They’re now not-so quietly headed in the right direction and still have the 10th choice in the draft. Could they put a Melvin Ingram opposite Super Mario, following the Denver model last year with Von Miller/Elvis Dumervil? It sure seemed to work out there, but I wonder if they’d not be better served to take an ILB like Luke Kuechley. He’s only 20 years old and one of those sideline-to-sideline tackling machines in the Patrick Willis mold. Luke also showed up bigger and more athletic at the combine than many expected, so he kept his draft stock as high as it could be for the position – a borderline top-10 pick. He’d shore up Buffalo’s run defense in the middle and Super Mario will be putting some heat on opposing QBs – neither of which the Bills D was good at last season. Without the injury bug hitting again, they could be setting up for a playoff run, if only a wild card in the AFC Pats division. If they want to follow the “win your division first” model, Ingram will be the likely choice (if available) because of the presence of the New England Patriots.