Jadeveon Clowney is viewed as the best player in this year's draft class. Plenty of teams are planning to wage a portion of their draft picks in order to land the defensive end. That of course is dependent on whether or not the Houston Texans or St. Louis Rams draft him first. While Clowney is viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime players, both teams have made recent moves that could mean Clowney is not needed.
The Houston Texans have recently picked up the fifth-year option on defensive end JJ Watt as they continue negotiations on a long-term contract. Watt is considered one of the best in the game and at his age, he will be around for a long time. With Watt likely around for the long haul in Houston, is there a need for Clowney? According to head coach Bill O'Brien, the pass rushing tandem is what the Texans are after.
"If we decide to draft this guy, we're not just going to play him at one position," O'Brien said, via the team website. "We may start him off at one position but use him in a lot of different ways. He's a unique talent but again, that's if we draft him."
The Rams are in the same position. St. Louis has one of the better young pass rushers in the league in Robert Quinn. The Rams have opted to pick up his fifth-year option on Monday as confirmed by ESPN.com. The Rams will now have Quinn under contract for the next two seasons. He finished his second seasons in the NFL with 19 sacks, ranking him second in the league. He won the Defensive Play of the Year award from Pro Football Writers of America. Again, with Quinn around for a few more years, is Clowney needed?
Clowney dropping down the No. 2 in the draft would certainly make him hard to pass up for the Rams, but with a number of teams targeting the defensive end, St. Louis is likely to trade down and draft a wide receiver or quarterback in the first round. With Quinn successful and around through 2015, getting Clowney is not a priority.
Everyone from the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders have their eyes on a deal for Clowney. Both Houston and St. Louis are in positions for trades and with excellent pass rushers already in place, Clowney could see himself drop in the draft.
