The NFL draft is coming and with mock drafts coming out daily, some predictions could come by the names invited by the NFL to NYC for the event at Radio City Music Hall, as Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, Khalil Mack, Blake Bortles and Jimmy Garoppolo were among 30 names invited to the event, with some others being CJ Mosley, Jake Matthews, Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee and Greg Robinson.
Getting invited to the draft these days doesn't mean that player will be a first round pick, as shown by Geno Smith last year and he nearly left the draft after not being taken, but clearly that was rectified after the second round with the Jets. The NFL now invites a number of players to the draft and not just a handful, which helps when players drop like Brady Quinn and Aaron Rodgers did, as many players there know they will go on the second day or in the later rounds and now it isn't such a big deal.
It could be a big deal if names like Manziel and Bortles fall, but even if they fall from the top 10 somehow, there is no way they won't be first round picks. The Texans hold all the cards and some have speculated that they will be making a trade, but so far there hasn't been any real intel on that. Mel Kiper thinks the team could pass up Clowney for Mack, as many have started to rank him ahead of the South Carolina star, which would have been unthinkable a year ago. Clowney looked like the guaranteed number one pick after last season, but this year made some scouts wonder about him.
The Texans have all the pressure, as they lost 14 straight games last season and traded their quarterback in Matt Schaub to the Oakland Raiders and that means they could take a QB number one. The draft is deep this year and the addition of Garoppolo shows that, as he will be in NYC along with names like Teddy Bridgewater and Bortles. There are names like Aaron Murray, AJ McCarron and Zach Mettenberger later in the draft and the Texans could use that to their advantage as well.
Once again there is likely to not be any running backs taken in the first round and that is illustrated by who was invited to the draft. Not a single RB will be coming and that is likely because of that reason and the second round is the new first round for backs. Carlos Hyde, Andre Williams, De'Anthony Thomas, Jeremy Hill and Tre Mason are some names to watch over that time. Williams rushed for over 2,000 yards last season and could be the first or second to go, while Hyde was fantastic with over 1,500 yards and 15 scores last season. Mason was electric with Auburn and he had 23 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards and both should be in the mix to start the second round.
