Round 1- Pick 23: Titus Howard OT Alabama State- The Texans were in a tough spot after the Eagles traded up and stole their guy in Andre Dillard at 22, but nevertheless, Howard wasn’t the best tackle available and is nowhere near ready to be a day one starter which is what the Texans need. He has some great attributes; most notably his length (6’6, with 34.5 inch arms) and athleticism(was a high school quarterback) , but is a long term project that needs to be developed in order to reach his potential.     Grade: C

Round 2- Pick 54: Lonnie Johnson CB Kentucky- Coming out of high school, Johnson had committed to Ohio State and was inline to play receiver for the Buckeyes, but after failing to academically qualify, he went to junior college, made the switch to corner, and eventually enrolled at Kentucky. As a 1 year starter Johnson was rock-solid, at the Senior Bowl he looked dominant. He already has NFL length;  listed as 190 pounds in his 6’3 frame. A year ago the secondary was a weakness, and with the losses suffered this year, this was a necessary pick that should be a rookie contributor, and likely year 2 starter with enticing long term potential. Grade: B+

Round 2- Pick 55: Max Scharping OL Northern Illinois- This pick is complicated. It felt like a bit of a reach; Scharping can play just about anywhere along the O-line, but his small school pedigree, and lack of physicality is cause for concern, and he most likely would’ve been available latter on in the draft. Nevertheless, another addition to the O-line is still positive, and Scharping offers good size at 6’5  and 326 lbs, in addition to durability (he started 52 out of 52 games in his college career), and while he spent most of his college days at Guard, he should be ready to move outside and fill the Right Tackle slot in his rookie season, should he be called upon to do so. Grade: B

Round 3- Pick 86: Kahale Warring TE San Diego State- This pick was a head scratcher. The Texans already have 4 tight ends on the roster; including Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas who are going into their 2nd and 3rd years respectively. Warring is by no means a bad player, in fact for most teams this would be a great value pick, however he doesn’t address a position of need (the tight end hasn’t been featured in the offense anyways) and with players such as Yodny Cajuste, and Jamel Dean both still on the board, and at positions of need (tackle and corner back) his grade drops significantly.     Grade: C-

Round 5- Pick 161: Charles Omenihu DE Texas- While this pick did not address any glaring needs, Omenihu adds depth to the D-line and will be able to learn alongside J.J. Watt and others. At 6’5 and 280 lbs with 36 inch arms, Omenihu offers unique length and size, and has the production (9.5 sacks a season ago) to back it up. Overall, this is a solid value pick in the 5th round in a player who won’t likely make any major contributions early on in his career, but has the potential to be a consistent rotating piece that factors into the pass rush down the road.  Grade: B

Round 6- Pick 195: Xavier CB Central Michigan- Grade: C-

Round 7- Pick 220: Cullen Gillaspia FB/ST Texas A&M- Grade: B