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Transcription

HOUSTON TEXANS
2015
NFL
DRAFT
NOTES
POST-DRAFT NOTES - SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015
HOUSTON TEXANS 2015 DRAFT PICKS
Rd
1
2
3
5
6
7
Pick Ovl
16 16
11 43
6 70
*39 175
*35 211
*40 216
18 235
Player
Kevin Johnson
Benardrick McKinney
Jaelen Strong
Keith Mumphery
Reshard Cliett
Christian Covington
Kenny Hilliard
Pos
CB
LB
WR
WR
LB
DT
RB
HT WT
6-0 188
6-4 246
6-2 217
6-0 215
6-2 222
6-2 289
5-11 226
TABLE OF CONTENTS
School
Wake Forest
Mississippi St.
Arizona St.
Michigan St.
South Florida
Rice
LSU
*Compensatory selections
TEXANS DRAFT INDEX
Below is a look at the Texans’ draft selections by position and round in
the NFL Draft since 2002, not including the Supplemental Draft:
Draft Round
Pos.
1
QB
1
RB
WR
2
TE
OT
1
OG
2
3
4
5
6
7
Total
1
1
1
1
2
7
1
2
2
1
3
1
10
1
3
2
1
2
2
13
1
1
3
1
1
1
8
1
4
1
2
1
10
1
2
C/LS
1
1
1
1
5
1
4
1
2
9
4
1
11
2
3
15
DE
3
DT
2
LB
3
3
1
3
CB
3
1
1
3
1
3
1
13
1
3
3
3
11
S
1
2
1
3
1
1
K/P
Total
1
15
11
20
17
12
2015 TEXANS DRAFT CLASS NOTES
2015 Draft Picks............................................................................ 2-3
Post-Draft Notes............................................................................ 4-5
NFL Draft Picks by Round.............................................................. 6-9
DRAFT PICK BIOS
CB Kevin Johnson.......................................................................... 10
LB Benardrick McKinney..................................................................11
WR Jaelen Strong........................................................................... 12
WR Keith Mumphery....................................................................... 13
LB Reshard Cliett............................................................................ 14
DT Christian Covington................................................................... 15
RB Kenny Hilliard............................................................................ 16
TRANSCRIPTS
Kevin Johnson Conference Call...................................................... 17
Rick Smith & Bill O’Brien April 30 Press Conference................. 17-18
Johnson Press Conference with Smith and O’Brien................... 19-20
Benardrick McKinney Conference Call............................................ 20
Jaelen Strong Conference Call....................................................... 21
Smith and O’Brien May 1 Press Conference.............................. 21-22
Keith Mumphery Conference Call................................................... 22
Reshard Cliett Conference Call....................................................... 23
Christian Covington Conference Call......................................... 23-24
Kenny Hilliard Conference Call....................................................... 24
Smith and O’Brien May 2 Press Conference................................... 25
1
24
18
117
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TEXANS DRAFT CLASS NOTES
Houston Texans 2015 NFL Draft Guide
TEXANS SELECT KEVIN JOHNSON 16TH OVERALL
TEXANS PICK STRONG AFTER TRADING UP
The Houston Texans selected Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson with the
16th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. He is the 111th overall player
drafted by the franchise since 2002.
The Houston Texans traded up in the third round to select Arizona State
WR Jaelen Strong with the 70th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. He
is the 113th overall player drafted by the franchise since 2002. Houston
has now executed 20 draft day trades in team history, 13 of which have
been completed by Executive Vice President of Football Operations
and General Manager Rick Smith.
KEVIN JOHNSON IS...
• The third cornerback selected in the first round in franchise history
and the first since Kareem Jackson in 2010.
• The 15th first-round selection in franchise history.
• The 13th cornerback selected in franchise history.
• First cornerback selected by the Texans since the team drafted
Andre Hal in the seventh round (216th overall) in 2014.
• The 11th defensive player selected in the first round by the
Houston Texans.
• The first player drafted by the Texans from Wake Forest.
• The 10th player on the Texans roster selected in the first round.
• The first cornerback selected 16th overall since Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona) in 2008.
JAELEN STRONG IS...
• The third wide receiver selected in the third round in franchise
history and the first since DeVier Posey in 2012.
• The 20th third-round selection in franchise history.
• The 12th wide receiver selected in franchise history.
• The first wide receiver selected by the Texans since the team
drafted DeAndre Hopkins in the first round (27th overall) and Alan
Bonner in the sixth round (195th overall) in 2013.
• The 14th offensive player selected in the third round by the
Houston Texans.
• The third player drafted by the Texans from Arizona State, joining
C Drew Hodgdon (2005) and S Troy Nolan (2009).
• The seventh player on the Texans roster selected in the third
round.
• The first wide receiver selected 70th overall since Earl Bennett
(Chicago) in 2008.
KEVIN JOHNSON WAKE FOREST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Recorded 191 tackles (125 solo), 35 passes defensed, seven
interceptions, eight tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two
fumble recoveries in 47 career games played (41 starts).
• His 35 passes defensed marked the fourth-highest career total in
school history.
• Received honorable mention All-ACC from the media and secondteam accolades from the ACC coaches as a senior in 2014. Also
earned second-team All-ACC by Phil Steele.
• As a junior in 2013, named All-ACC honorable mention and thirdteam All-ACC by ACC coaches.
JAELEN STRONG ARIZONA STATE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• In two years (2013-14) at Arizona State, played in 26 games and
caught 157 passes for 2,287 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
• His reception total ranks fifth in school history.
• In 2014, recorded 82 receptions, good for the third-highest singleseason mark in Arizona State history. His 1,165 receiving yards
ranked fifth in school single-season annals. Finished with 10
touchdowns on the year.
• Earned Second Team All-America accolades from Sporting News,
Sports Illustrated and CBSSports.com and was also an ESPN.
com All-America honoree.
• Named to the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 First Team and Phil Steele
All-America Third Team.
• Named a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist.
HOUSTON TRADES UP FOR BENARDRICK McKINNEY
The Houston Texans traded up in the second round to select Mississippi
State ILB Benardrick McKinney with the 43rd overall pick of the 2015
NFL Draft. He is the 112th overall player drafted by the franchise since
2002.
BENARDRICK McKINNEY IS...
• The third linebacker selected in the second round and the 14th
overall, which is the most of any position in franchise history.
• The 11th second-round selection in franchise history.
• First linebacker selected by the Texans since taking Jadeveon
Clowney first overall in 2014.
• The sixth defensive player selected in the second round by the
Houston Texans.
• The first player drafted by the Texans from Mississippi State.
• The fourth player on the Texans roster selected in the second
round.
• The first linebacker selected 43rd overall since Sergio Kindle
(Baltimore) in 2010.
HOUSTON SELECTS SECOND STRAIGHT WR IN 5TH
The Houston Texans used their first compensatory pick on Michigan
State WR Keith Mumphery in the fifth round (175th overall) of the 2015
NFL Draft. He is the 114th player drafted by the team since 2002.
KEITH MUMPHERY IS...
• The first wide receiver selected in the fifth round and the 13th
overall, which is tied for the second-most of any position in
franchise history.
• The 12th fifth-round selection in franchise history.
• The second receiver selected by the Texans in the 2015 Draft.
• The 10th compensatory pick in Texans history.
• The sixth offensive player selected in the fifth round by the
Houston Texans.
• The second player drafted by the Texans from Michigan State,
joining WR Keshawn Martin (2012).
• The third player on the Texans roster selected in the fifth round.
BENARDRICK McKINNEY MISSISSIPPI ST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Career honors: 2014 First Team All-American: ESPN, FWAA,
Phil Steele, Sports Illustrated...2014 Second Team All-American:
Associated Press, Sporting News, Walter Camp; 2014 First Team
All-SEC: Coaches...2014 Second Team All-SEC: Associated
Press...2014 Semifinalist for Bednarik, Butkus and Lombardi Awards.
• Became the program’s first first-team All-America linebacker since
1999.
• Started 36-of-39 career games and totaled 244 tackles, 19.5
tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, seven passes defensed and six fumble
recoveries.
• In 2014, started all 13 games and for the second straight year, was
the Bulldogs’ top tackler recording 71 total stops as well as eight
tackles for loss, three sacks, four passes defensed, three fumble
recoveries and one forced fumble.
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KEITH MUMPHERY MICHIGAN STATE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Posted 88 receptions for 1,348 yards (15.3 avg.) and seven
touchdowns in 54 career games (26 starts). Also had 14 carries
for 125 yards (8.9 avg.) and one touchdown.
• As a senior in 2014, started 11-of-13 games and ranked second
on the team in receiving yards (495), tied for fourth in receptions
(26) and scored four touchdowns. Ranked third in the Big Ten in
yards per catch (19.0).
2
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TEXANS DRAFT CLASS NOTES
TEXANS TAKE RESHARD CLIETT WITH 211TH PICK
TEXANS DRAFT ANOTHER LSU RUNNING BACK
The Houston Texans used their second compensatory pick on South
Florida LB Reshard Cliett in the sixth round (211th overall) of the 2015
NFL Draft. He is the 115th player drafted by the franchise since 2002.
The Houston Texans selected RB Kenny Hilliard with their final pick in
the seventh round (235th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He is the 117th
player drafted by the franchise since 2002.
RESHARD CLIETT IS...
• The second linebacker selected in the sixth round and the 15th
overall, which is the most of any position in franchise history.
• The 23rd sixth-round selection by the Houston Texans, which is
the most of any round in team history.
• The second linebacker selected by the Texans in the 2015 NFL
Draft.
• The 13th defensive player selected in the sixth round by the
Houston Texans.
• The first player drafted by the Texans from South Florida.
• The eighth player on the Texans roster selected in the sixth round.
KENNY HILLIARD IS...
• The first running back selected in the seventh round and the 10th
overall in team history.
• The 18th seventh-round selection in franchise history.
• The first running back selected by the Texans since taking Alfred
Blue and Jay Prosch in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
• The second LSU running back drafted by the Texans in the last
two drafts (Alfred Blue - 2014).
• The eighth offensive player selected in the seventh round by the
Texans.
• The sixth player drafted by the Texans from LSU, which is the most
of any school.
• The fourth player on the Texans roster selected in the seventh
round.
RESHARD CLIETT SOUTH FLORIDA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• In 42 career games (27 starts), notched 139 tackles (95 solo), 18
tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, seven passes defensed, one forced
fumble and one fumble recovery.
• As a senior in 2014, led USF and ranked fifth in the American Athletics Conference with a career-high 6.0 sacks. Also ranked
second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss, posting at least one
in seven games.
• In 2013, he recorded a career-high 56 tackles (36 solo), while
adding seven tackles for loss and three passes defensed.
KENNY HILLIARD LSU CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Played in 48 games (seven starts) and rushed for 1,547 yards and
27 touchdowns on 302 carries. Also added 11 receptions for 69
yards and a touchdown.
• Tied for eighth in LSU history in career rushing touchdowns.
• Posted four career 100-yard rushing games.
• Registered a career-high eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2011
and never scored less than six touchdowns in each of his four
seasons (2011-14).
HOUSTON SELECTS RICE DT IN 6TH ROUND
THE LAST TIME THE TEXANS DRAFTED A...
The Houston Texans used their third compensatory pick to select Rice
DT Christian Covington in the sixth round (216th overall) of the 2015
NFL Draft. He is the 116th player drafted by the franchise since 2002.
Pos. Year
QB 2014
RB 2015
FB 2014
WR 2015
2015
TE 2014
C 2012
G 2014
T
2013
S
2014
CB 2015
LB 2015
2015
DE 2014
2014
DT 2015
K
2012
CHRISTIAN COVINGTON IS...
• The fourth defensive tackle selected in the sixth round (most of
any position in the round) and the 11th overall in team history.
• The 24th sixth-round selection in franchise history.
• The 13th defensive player selected in the sixth round by the
Houston Texans.
• The third player drafted by the Texans from Rice, joining TE James
Casey (2009) and LB Cheta Ozougwu (2011).
• The ninth player on the Texans roster selected in the sixth round.
CHRISTIAN COVINGTON RICE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Registered 122 tackles (78 solo), 28 tackles for loss, 13.0
sacks, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble
recoveries in three seasons at Rice.
• As a sophomore in 2013, tallied career highs in tackles (59),
tackles for loss (11.5) and passes defensed (three), while adding
4.0 sacks.
• Named First Team All-Conference USA by league coaches. Was
also a member of of the 2013 Conference USA Commissioner’s
Honor Roll.
• As a freshman in 2012, posted a career-high 5.0 sacks and was
named to USA Today’s All-Bowl Team for his efforts in the Armed
Forces Bowl win over Air Force. His sack total led all Conference
USA freshmen and tied for second nationally among first-year
players.
3
Player, College
Rd.
Tom Savage, Pittsburgh
4
Kenny Hilliard, LSU
7
Jay Prosch, Auburn
6
Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
3
Keith Mumphery, Michigan State 5
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa
3
Ben Jones, Georgia
4
Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA
2
Brennan Williams, North Carolina 3
David Quessenberry, San Jose St. 6
Lonnie Ballentine, Memphis
7
Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
1
Benardrick McKinney, Miss. St. 2
Reshard Cliett, South Florida
6
Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina 1
Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama
6
Christian Covington, Rice
6
Randy Bullock, Texas A&M
5
Overall
135
235
211
70
175
65
99
33
89
176
256
16
43
211
1
177
216
161
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TEXANS 2015 POST-DRAFT NOTES
DEFENSE TRENDING IN HIGHER ROUNDS
HOME GROWN
Seventeen of Houston’s 21 first- or second-round picks since 2004
have been on the defensive side of the ball.
The Houston Texans have drafted 17 players overall and at least one
player in all but the 2013 and 2014 drafts that either went to college or
high school in Texas, or has some connection to the state.
Below is a look at what players the Houston Texans have drafted who
are either from Texas or went to college in Texas.
HOUSTON TEXANS FIRST- AND SECOND-ROUND
DRAFT PICKS, 2004-15
Year Player
Pos. Rd.Pk College
2015 Benardrick McKinney ILB
2 43 Mississippi State
2015 Kevin Johnson
CB
1 16 Wake Forest
2014 Jadeveon Clowney OLB
1 1 South Carolina
2014 Xavier Su’a-Filo
G
2 33 UCLA
2013 DeAndre Hopkins WR
1 27 Clemson
2013 D.J. Swearinger
S
2 57 South Carolina
2012 Whitney Mercilus OLB
1 26 Illinois
2011 J.J. Watt
DE
1 11 Wisconsin
2011 Brooks Reed
OLB
2 42 Arizona
2011 Brandon Harris
CB
2 60 Miami
2010 Kareem Jackson CB
1 20 Alabama
2010 Ben Tate
RB
2 58 Auburn
2009 Brian Cushing
LB
1 15 USC
2009 Connor Barwin
DE
2 46 Cincinnati
2008 Duane Brown
T
1 26 Virginia Tech
2007 Amobi Okoye
DT
1 10 Louisville
2006 Mario Williams
DE
1 1 N.C. State
2006 DeMeco Ryans
LB
2 33 Alabama
2005 Travis Johnson
DT
1 16 Florida State
2004 Dunta Robinson
CB
1 10 South Carolina
2004 Jason Babin
LB
1 27 Western Michigan
Defensive players in italics
2002
Rd Pick Player
College
6 173 DeMarcus Faggins Kansas State
2003
7
LS Brownwood
CB Copperas Cove
WR Clarksville, Tenn.
QB Houston
7 227 Kenneth Pettway Grambling StateLB Houston
(attended Gilmer High School in Gilmer)
2006
3
2007
6
7
66 Eric Winston
183 Kasey Studdard
218 Zac Diles
Miami
T
Texas
Kansas State
G Denver, Colo.
LB Abilene
2008
5 151 Frank Okam
Texas
(went to Lake Highlands High School, in Dallas)
2009
4
5
6
2010
Pos.
LB
QB
WR
OLB
OLB
TE
QB
FB
S
WR
LB
DT
3
2011
7
2012
5
122 Anthony Hill
152 James Casey
188 Brice McCain
81 Earl Mitchell
Midland
DT Pine Bluff, Ark.
North Carolina St.TE Houston
Rice
TE Azle
Utah
CB Terrell
Arizona DT Houston
254 Cheta Ozougwu
Rice
OLB Houston
161 *Randy Bullock
Texas A&M
K
Klein
2015
6 216 Christian Covington Rice
DT Vancouver, BC,
Canada
* Indicates placed on injured reserve
Bold indicates made active roster that season
Bold indicates made active roster that season
Pos.Hometown
CB Irving
2005
HOUSTON TEXANS ALL-TIME COMPENSATORY PICKS
College
Mississippi
Texas Tech
Colorado State
Rice
LSU
Connecticut
Pittsburgh
Auburn
Memphis
Michigan State
South Florida
Rice
Texas A&M
6 170 Vontez Duff
Notre Dame
7 211 Sloan Thomas
Texas
(went to Klein High School in Klein)
7 248 B.J. Symons
Texas Tech
The Texans were awarded three compensatory picks in this year’s draft:
the 39th pick in the fifth round (175th overall), the 35th pick in the sixth
round (211th overall) and the 40th pick in the sixth round (216th overall). WR Keith Mumphery, LB Reshard Cliett and DT Christian Covington
were selected with the picks. Houston was awarded nine compensatory
picks prior to this year’s draft.
Rd PickPlayer
6 200 Charlie Anderson
7 248 B.J. Symons
7 251 David Anderson
7 254 Cheta Ozougwu
3 95 Sam Montgomery
6 201 Ryan Griffin
4 135 Tom Savage
6 211 Jay Prosch
6 256 Lonnie Ballentine
5 175 Keith Mumphery
6 211 Reshard Cliett
6 216 Christian Covington
233 Chance Pearce
2004
TEXANS ALL-TIME COMPENSATORY PICKS
Year
2004
2004
2006
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015
2015
TEXANS DRAFTED BY THE TEXANS
4
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TEXANS 2015 POST-DRAFT NOTES
change for first-round pick (27th overall-Jason Babin); also exchanged
fifth-round picks (138th to 159th overall) with Tennessee.
TEXANS DRAFT DAY TRADES
The Texans have executed 20 draft day trades. Thirteen of them have
been executed by Texans General Manager and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rick Smith. Below is a look at those trades
and who was selected with those acquired picks.
Apr. 25, 2004: Traded fifth-round pick (159th overall) to Jacksonville in
exchange for sixth-round pick (175th overall - Jammal Lord) and seventh-round pick (210th overall - Raheem Orr).
Apr. 23, 2005: Traded first-round pick (13th overall) to New Orleans in
exchange for first round pick (16th overall-Travis Johnson) in 2005 draft
and third-round selection in 2006 draft (66th overall-Eric Winston).
HOUSTON TEXANS DRAFT TRADE HISTORY
Year Trade Partner Gave Up
2015 N.Y. Jets
WR DeVier Posey
3rd round (82)
5th round (152)
7th round (229)
2015 Cleveland
2nd round (51)
4th round (116)
6th round (195)
2014 Philadelphia 4th round (101)
5th round (141)
2013 Oakland
6th round (184)
7th round (233)
2013 St. Louis
5th round (160)
2012 Tampa Bay
2011 Washington
2nd round (58)
7th round (233)
4th round (105)
6th round (178)
2011 New England 3rd round (73)
5th round (138)
2010 Kansas City 3rd round (93)
2010 New England 2nd round (62)
5th round (150)
2010 Minnesota
2nd round (51)
2008 Baltimore
1st round (18)
2007 New Orleans
4th round (107)
2005 New Orleans
1st round (13)
2004 Jacksonville
5th round (159)
2004 Tennessee
2003
2003
2003
2002
2nd round (40)
3rd round (71)
4th round (103)
5th round (138)
Indianapolis 5th round (138)
Oakland
3rd round (83)
7th round (262)
New England 2nd round (36)
4th round (117)
Atlanta
4th round (116)
Received
3rd round (70 - Jaelen Strong)
Apr. 29, 2007: Traded fourth-round draft pick (107th overall) to the New
Orleans Saints in exchange for the Saints 2007 fourth-round pick (123rd
overall-Fred Bennett) and a 2007 fifth-round pick (163rd overall-Brandon
Frye).
2nd round (43 - Benardrick McKinney)
7th round (229 - traded)
Apr. 26, 2008: Traded first-round pick (No. 18 overall) to the Baltimore
Ravens for first-round pick (No. 26 overall-Duane Brown) a third-round
pick (89th overall-Steve Slaton) and a sixth-round pick (173rd overallDominique Barber).
3rd round (83 - Louis Nix III)
6th round (176 - David Quessenberry)
6th round (184 - traded)
6th round (198 - Chris Jones)
3rd round (68 - DeVier Posey)
4th round (126 - Jared Crick)
4th round (127 - Roc Carmichael)
5th round (144 - Shiloh Keo)
5th round (152 - T.J. Yates)
2nd round (60 - Brandon Harris)
Apr. 23, 2010: Traded second-round pick (51st overall) to the Minnesota
Vikings in exchange for Minnesota’s second- and third-round picks (62nd
and 93rd, respectively).
Traded the 62nd overall pick and a fifth-round pick (150th overall)
to New England 58th overall pick in Round 2 (RB Ben Tate).
Traded the 93rd pick to Kansas City in exchange for fourth-round
pick (102nd overall - LB Darryl Sharpton) and a fifth-rounder (144th overall - CB Sherrick McManis) from the Chiefs.
4th round (102 – Darryl Sharpton)
5th round (144 – Sherrick McManis)
2nd round (58 – Ben Tate)
April 29, 2011: Traded a third- (73rd overall) and fifth-round (138th overall) pick with New England for a second-round (60th overall) pick. Houston selected Miami CB Brandon Harris with its new pick.
2nd round (62 – traded)
3rd round (93 - traded)
1st round (26 – Duane Brown)
3rd round (89 – Steve Slaton)
6th round (173 – Dominique Barber)
4th round (123 – Fred Bennett)
5th round (163 – Brandon Frye)
1st round (16 – Travis Johnson)
2006 3rd round (66 – Eric Winston)
6th round (175 – Jammal Lord)
7th round (210 – Raheem Orr)
1st round (27 – Jason Babin)
5th round (159 – traded)
April 30, 2011: Acquired a fourth-round pick (127th overall) and two
fifth-round picks (144th and 152nd) from the Washington Redskins in
exchange for the Texans’ original fourth-round pick (105th overall) and
sixth-round pick (178th). With their picks, Houston selected Virginia Tech
CB Roc Carmichael (127th overall), Idaho S Shiloh Keo (144th) and
North Carolina QB T.J. Yates (152nd) with those acquired picks.
April 27, 2012: Traded second- and seventh-round picks (58th and
233rd overall to Tampa Bay for picks in the third and fourth rounds. The
Texans selected WR DeVier Posey with the 68th overall pick and DE
Jared Crick with the 126th overall pick.
2004 4th round (122 – Glenn Earl)
2004 2nd round (supplemental –
Tony Hollings)
2nd round (41 – Bennie Joppru)
3rd round (75 – Seth Wand)
2003 3rd (88 – Dave Ragone)
April 27, 2013: Traded fifth-round pick (160th overall) to St. Louis for two
picks in the sixth round (184th and 198th overall). The Texans included
the 184th pick in a subsequent trade and selected DT Chris Jones with
the 198th overall pick.
Traded sixth-round pick (184th overall) and seventh-round pick
(233rd overall) to Oakland for a sixth-round pick (176th overall). The Texans selected T David Quessenberry with that pick.
Apr. 21, 2002: Traded fourth-round pick in 2002 to Atlanta in exchange
for 2003 third-round pick (88th overall-Dave Ragone).
May 9, 2014: Traded fourth- and fifth-round picks (101st and 141st overall) to Philadelphia for a third-round pick (83rd overall). The Texans selected NT Louis Nix III with that pick.
Apr. 26, 2003: Traded second-round pick (36th overall) and fourth-round
pick (117th overall) to New England for second-round pick (41st overallBennie Joppru) and third-round pick (75th overall-Seth Wand).
Traded third-round pick (83rd overall) and seventh-round pick
(262nd overall) to Oakland in exchange for 2004 second-round pick
(supplemental draft pick-Tony Hollings).
May 1, 2015: Traded second-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks (51st, 116th
and 195th overall) to Cleveland for a second- and seventh-round pick
(43rd and 229th overall). The Texans selected LB Benardrick McKinney
with the second-round pick and traded the seventh-round pick.
Traded WR DeVier Posey and third-, fifth- and seventh-round picks
(82nd, 152nd and 229th overall) for a third-round pick (70th overall). The
Texans selected WR Jaelen Strong with the pick.
Apr. 27, 2003: Traded fifth-round pick (138th overall) to Indianapolis for
2004 fourth-round pick (122nd overall-Glenn Earl).
Apr. 24, 2004: Traded second-round pick (40th overall), third-round
pick (71st overall), fourth-round pick (103rd overall) to Tennessee in ex-
5
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DRAFT PICKS BY ROUND
2015 NFL DRAFT, ROUND 1, PICK-BY-PICK
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Team
Tampa Bay Tennessee Jacksonville Oakland Washington N.Y. Jets Chicago Atlanta N.Y. Giants St. Louis Minnesota Cleveland New Orleans Miami San Diego Houston San Francisco Kansas City Cleveland Philadelphia Cincinnati Pittsburgh Denver Arizona Carolina Baltimore Dallas Detroit Indianapolis Green Bay New Orleans New England Player
Winston, Jameis Mariota, Marcus Fowler, Dante Cooper, Amari Scherff, Brandon Williams, Leonard White, Kevin Beasley, Vic Flowers, Ereck Gurley, Todd Waynes, Trae Shelton, Danny Peat, Andrus Parker, DeVante Gordon, Melvin Johnson, Kevin Armstead, Arik Peters, Marcus Erving, Cameron Agholor, Nelson Ogbuehi, Cedric Dupree, Bud Ray, Shane Humphries, D.J. Thompson, Shaq Perriman, Breshad Jones, Byron Tomlinson, Laken Dorsett, Phillip Randall, Damarious Anthony, Stephone Brown, Malcom 2015 NFL DRAFT, ROUND 2, PICK-BY-PICK
Pos College
QB Florida State
QB Oregon
DE Florida
WR Alabama
T Iowa
DE USC
WR West Virginia
DE Clemson
T Miami
RB Georgia
DB Michigan State
DT Washington
T Stanford
WR Louisville
RB Wisconsin
DB Wake Forest
DE Oregon
DB Washington
G Florida State
WR USC
T Texas A&M
LB Kentucky
DE Missouri
T Florida
LB Washington
WR Central Florida
DB Connecticut
G Duke
WR Miami (FL)
DB Arizona State
LB Clemson
DT Texas
ick
P
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
TIME OF ROUND 1
3 hours, 9 minutes
Ovl
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
Team
N.Y. Giants
Tampa Bay Oakland Jacksonville N.Y. Jets Washington Chicago Tennessee Carolina Atlanta Houston New Orleans Minnesota San Francisco Philadelphia San Diego Kansas City Buffalo Cleveland Miami Cincinnati Detroit Baltimore Pittsburgh St. Louis Arizona Denver Dallas Tampa Bay Green Bay Seattle New England Player
Pos College
Collins, Landon DB Alabama
Smith, Donovan T Penn State
Edwards, Mario DE Florida State
Yeldon, T.j. RB Alabama
Smith, Devin WR Ohio State
Smith, Preston LB Mississippi St.
Goldman, Eddie NT Florida State
Green-Beckham, Dorial WR Missouri
Funchess, Devin WR Michigan
Collins, Jalen DB LSU
McKinney, Benardrick LB Mississippi St.
Kikaha, Hau’oli LB Washington
Kendricks, Eric LB UCLA
Tartt, Jaquiski DB Samford
Rowe, Eric DB Utah
Perryman, Denzel LB Miami
Morse, Mitch C Missouri
Darby, Ronald DB Florida State
Orchard, Nate LB Utah
Phillips, Jordan DT Oklahoma
Fisher, Jake T Oregon
Abdullah, Ameer RB Nebraska
Williams, Maxx TE Minnesota
Golson, Senquez DB Mississippi
Havenstein, Rob T Wisconsin
Golden, Markus LB Missouri
Sambrailo, Ty T Colorado State
Gregory, Randy DE Nebraska
Marpet, Ali T Hobart
Rollins, Quinten DB Miami (Oh)
Clark, Frank DE Michigan
Richards, Jordan DB Stanford
TIME OF ROUND 2
2 hours, 19 minutes
DAY 1 TOTALS
POSITIONS
6 - Wide Receiver; 5 - Defensive Back, Defensive End, Tackle; 3 - Linebacker;
2 - Guard, Defensive Tackle, Quarterback, Running Back
CONFERENCES
9 - Pac-12, ACC; 7 - SEC; 3 - Big Ten; 2 - Big 12, AAC
SCHOOLS
3 - Washington; 2 - Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, USC; 1 Alabama, Arizona State, Central Florida, Connecticut, Duke, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Wake
Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin
6
@TexansPR
ick Ovrl Team
P
1
65 Indianapolis 2
66 Tennessee 3
67 Jacksonville 4
68 Oakland 5
69 Seattle 6
70 Houston 7
71 Chicago 8
72 St. Louis 9
73 Atlanta 10
74 N.Y. Giants 11
75 New Orleans 12
76 Kansas City 13
77 Cleveland 14
78 New Orleans
15
79 San Francisco 16
80 Detroit 17
81 Buffalo 18
82 N.Y. Jets 19
83 San Diego 20
84 Philadelphia 21
85 Cincinnati 22
86 Arizona 23
87 Pittsburgh 24
88 Minnesota 25
89 St. Louis 26
90 Baltimore 27
91 Dallas 28
92 Denver 29
93 Indianapolis 30
94 Green Bay 31
95 Washington 32
96 Cleveland *33
97 New England *34
98 Kansas City *35
99 Cincinnati 2015 NFL DRAFT, ROUND 4, PICK-BY-PICK
Player
Pos College
Smith, D’Joun DB Florida Atlantic
Poutasi, Jeremiah T Utah
Cann, A.J. G South Carolina
Walford, Clive TE Miami
Lockett, Tyler WR Kansas State
Strong, Jaelen WR Arizona State
Grasu, Hroniss C Oregon
Brown, Jamon T Louisville
Coleman, Tevin RB Indiana
Odighizuwa, Owamagbe DE UCLA
Grayson, Garrett QB Colorado State
Conley, Chris WR Georgia
Johnson, Duke RB Miami
Williams, P.j. DB Florida State
Harold, Eli LB Virginia
Carter, Alex DB Stanford
Miller, John G Louisville
Mauldin, Lorenzo LB Louisville
Mager, Craig DB Texas State
Hicks, Jordan LB Texas
Kroft, Tyler TE Rutgers
Johnson, David RB Northern Iowa
Coates, Sammie WR Auburn
Hunter, Danielle DE LSU
Mannion, Sean QB Oregon State
Davis, Carl DT Iowa
Green, Chaz T Florida
Heuerman, Jeff TE Ohio State
Anderson, Henry DE Stanford
Montgomery, Ty WR Stanford
Jones, Matt RB Florida
Cooper, Xavier DT Washington St.
Grissom, Geneo DE Oklahoma
Nelson, Steven DB Oregon State
Dawson, Paul LB TCU
ick Ovrl Team
P
1 100 Tennessee 2 101 New England 3 102 Carolina 4 103 N.Y. Jets 5 104 Jacksonville 6 105 Washington 7 106 Chicago 8 107 Atlanta 9 108 Tennessee 10 109 Indianapolis 11 110 Minnesota 12 111 New England 13 112 Washington 14 113 Detroit
15 114 Miami 16 115 Cleveland 17 116 Arizona 18 117 San Francisco 19 118 Kansas City 20 119 St. Louis 21 120 Cincinnati 22 121 Pittsburgh 23 122 Baltimore 24 123 Cleveland 25 124 Tampa Bay 26 125 Baltimore 27 126 San Francisco 28 127 Dallas 29 128 Oakland 30 129 Green Bay 31 130 Seattle 32 131 New England *33 132 San Francisco *34 133 Denver
*35 134 Seattle *36 135 Cincinnati *37 136 Baltimore * Compensatory Selections
TIME OF ROUND 3
1 hour, 51 minutes
Player
Blackson, Angelo Flowers, Trey Williams, Daryl Petty, Bryce Sample, James Crowder, Jamison Langford, Jeremy Hardy, Justin Fowler, Jalston Geathers, Clayton Clemmings, T.J. Jackson, Tre’ Kouandjio, Arie Wright, Gabe
Douglas, Jamil Campbell, Ibraheim
Gunter, Rodney Bell, Blake Wilson, Ramik Donnal, Andrew Shaw, Josh Grant, Doran Smith, Za’Darius Mayle, Vince Alexander, Kwon Allen, Javorius Davis, Mike Wilson, Damien Feliciano, Jon Ryan, Jake Poole, Terry Mason, Shaquille Smelter, DeAndre Garcia, Max Glowinski, Mark Hardison, Marcus Walker, Tray Pos College
DT Auburn
DE Arkansas
T Oklahoma
QB Baylor
DB Louisville
WR Duke
RB Michigan State
WR East Carolina
RB Alabama
DB Central Florida
T Pittsburgh
G Florida State
G Alabama
DT Auburn
G Arizona State
DB Northwestern
DE Delaware St.
TE Oklahoma
LB Georgia
T Iowa
DB USC
DB Ohio State
LB Kentucky
WR Washington St.
LB Louisiana St.
RB USC
RB South Carolina
LB Minnesota
G Miami
LB Michigan
T San Diego St.
G Georgia Tech
WR Georgia Tech
C Florida
G West Virginia
DT Arizona State
DB Texas Southern
* Compensatory Selections
TIME OF ROUND 4
1 hour, 33 minutes
CUMULATIVE DAY 1-2 TOTALS
POSITIONS
18 - Defensive Back; 14 - Linebacker, Wide Receiver; 13 - Tackle; 12 - Defensive
End; 8 - Running Back; 5 - Defensive Tackle; 4 - Guard, Tight End, Quarterback;
2 - Center; 1 - Nose Tackle
CONFERENCES
25 - Pac-12; 22 - SEC; 20 - ACC; 15 - Big Ten; 7 - Big 12; 2 - AAC, MWC; 1 - CUSA, Liberty, MAC, MVFC, Southern, SBC
SCHOOLS
6 - Florida State; 5 - Miami, Stanford; 4 - Florida, Louisville, Missouri, Oregon,
Washington; 3 - Alabama, Utah, 2 - Arizona State, Clemson, Colorado State,
Georgia, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, USC, Texas, UCLA, Wisconsin; 1 - Auburn, Central Florida,
Connecticut, Duke, Florida Atlantic, Hobart, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky,
Miami (OH), Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, Northern Iowa, Penn State,
Rutgers, Samford, South Carolina, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas State, Virginia,
Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia
7
@TexansPR
ick Ovrl Team
P
1 137 Atlanta 2 138 Tennessee 3 139 Jacksonville 4 140 Oakland 5 141 Washington 6 142 Chicago 7 143 Minnesota 8 144 N.Y. Giants 9 145 Miami 10 146 Minnesota 11 147 Green Bay 12 148 New Orleans 13 149 Miami 14 150 Miami 15 151 Indianapolis 16 152 N.Y. Jets 17 153 San Diego 18 154 New Orleans 19 155 Buffalo 20 156 Miami 21 157 Cincinnati 22 158 Arizona 23 159 Arizona 24 160 Pittsburgh 25 161 Oakland 26 162 Tampa Bay 27 163 Dallas 28 164 Denver 29 165 San Francisco 30 166 New England 31 167 New Orleans 32 168 Detroit * 33 169 Carolina * 34 170 Seattle * 35 171 Baltimore * 36 172 Kansas City * 37 173 Kansas City * 38 174 Carolina * 39 175 Houston * 40 176 Baltimore 2015 NFL DRAFT, ROUND 6, PICK-BY-PICK
Player
Pos College
Jarrett, Grady DT Clemson
Cobb, David RB Minnesota
Greene, Rashad WR Florida State
Heeney, Ben LB Kansas
Spaight, Martrell LB Arkansas
Amos, Adrian DB Penn State
Pruitt, Mycole TE Southern Illinois
Thompson, Mykkele DB Texas
Mccain, Bobby DB Memphis
Diggs, Stefon WR Maryland
Hundley, Brett QB UCLA
Tull, Davis LB Chattanooga
Ajayi, Jay RB Boise State
Thompson, Cedric DB Minnesota
Parry, David DT Stanford
Harrison, Jarvis G Texas A&M
Emanuel, Kyle LB North Dakota St.
Davison, Tyeler DT Fresno State
Williams, Karlos RB Florida State
Lippett, Tony DB Michigan State
Uzomah, C.J. TE Auburn
Riddick, Shaquille LB West Virginia
Nelson, J.J. WR UAB
James, Jesse TE Penn State
Ball, Neiron LB Florida
Bell, Kenny WR Nebraska
Russell, Ryan DE Purdue
Doss, Lorenzo DB Tulane
Pinion, Bradley P Clemson
Cardona, Joe LS Navy
Swann, Damian DB Georgia
Burton, Michael RB Rutgers
Mayo, David LB Texas State
Smith, Tye DB Towson
Boyle, Nick TE Delaware
Alexander, D.J. LB Oregon State
O’Shaughnessy, James TE Illinois State
Artis-Payne, CameronRB Auburn
Mumphery, Keith WR Michigan St.
Myers, Robert G Tennessee St.
ick Ovrl Team
P
1 177 Tennessee 2 178 New England 3 179 Oakland 4 180 Jacksonville 5 181 Washington 6 182 Washington 7 183 Chicago 8 184 Tampa Bay 9 185 Minnesota 10 186 N.Y. Giants 11 187 Washington 12 188 Buffalo 13 189 Cleveland 14 190 San Francisco 15 191 Philadelphia 16 192 San Diego 17 193 Minnesota 18 194 Buffalo 19 195 Cleveland 20 196 Philadelphia 21 197 Cincinnati 22 198 Cleveland 23 199 Pittsburgh 24 200 Detroit 25 201 St. Louis 26 202 New England 27 203 Denver 28 204 Baltimore 29 205 Indianapolis 30 206 Green Bay 31 207 Indianapolis 32 208 Tennessee * 33 209 Seattle * 34 210 Green Bay * 35 211 Houston * 36 212 Pittsburgh * 37 213 Green Bay * 38 214 Seattle * 39 215 St. Louis * 40 216 Houston * 41 217 Kansas City * Compensatory Selections
TIME OF ROUND 5
1 hour, 47 minutes
Player
Pos College
Mount, Deiontrez LB Louisville
Wells, Matthew LB Mississippi St.
Valles, Max DE Virginia
Bennett, Michael DT Ohio State
Jarrett, Kyshoen DB Virginia Tech
Mitchel, Tevin DB Arkansas
Fabuluje, Tayo T Texas Christian
Clay, Kaelin WR Utah
Thompson, Tyrus T Oklahoma
Davis, Geremy WR Connecticut
Spencer, Evan WR Ohio State
Steward, Tony LB Clemson
Gaines, Charles DB Louisville
Silberman, Ian T Boston College
Shepherd, Jacorey DB Kansas
Philon, Darius DT Arkansas
Dubose, B.J. DE Louisville
O’Leary, Nick TE Florida State
Johnson, Malcolm RB Mississippi St.
Evans, Randall
DB Kansas State
Smith, Derron DB Fresno State
Telfer, Randall TE USC
Walton, Leterrius DE Central Mich.
Diggs, Quandre DB Texas
Sasser, Bud WR Missouri
Derby, A.J. TE Arkansas
Kilgo, Darius DT Maryland
Waller, Darren WR Georgia Tech
Robinson, Josh RB Mississippi St.
Ripkowski, Aaron RB Oklahoma
Herrera, Amarlo LB Georgia
Gallik, Andy C Boston College
Gwacham, Obum DE Oregon State
Ringo, Christian DT La.-Lafayette
Cliett, Reshard LB South Florida
Chickillo, Anthony LB Miami
Backman, Kennard TE UAB
Sokoli, Kristjan G Buffalo
Wichmann, Cody G Fresno State
Covington, Christian DT Rice
Nunez-Roches, RakeemDE Southern Miss.
TIME OF ROUND 6
1 hour, 39 minutes
8
@TexansPR
FINAL DRAFT TOTALS
ick Ovrl Team
P
Player
Pos College
1 218 Oakland Morris, Anthony T Tennessee St.
2 219 Cleveland Pullard, Hayes LB USC
3 220 Jacksonville Sterling, Neal WR Monmouth, N.J.
4 221 Oakland Debose, Andre WR Florida
5 222 Washington Reiter, Austin C South Florida
6 223 N.Y. Jets Simon, Deon NT Northwestern
State, La.
7 224 St. Louis Hager, Bryce LB Baylor
8 225 Atlanta Rodgers, Jake T Eastern Wash.
9 226 N.Y. Giants Hart, Bobby G Florida State
10 227 St. Louis Ifedi, Martin DE Memphis
11 228 Minnesota Shepherd, Austin G Alabama
12 229 Jacksonville Koyack, Ben TE Notre Dame
13 230 New Orleans Murphy, Marcus RB Missouri
14 231 Tampa Bay Iosefa, Joey RB Hawaii
15 232 Minnesota Robinson, Edmond LB Newberry
16 233 Kansas City Brown, Da’ron WR Northern Illinois
17 234 Buffalo Lewis, Dezmin WR Central Ark.
18 235 Houston Hilliard, Kenny RB LSU
19 236 Dallas Nzeocha, Mark LB Wyoming
20 237 Philadelphia Mihalik, Brian DE Boston College
21 238 Cincinnati Alford, Mario WR West Virginia
22 239 Pittsburgh Holliman, Gerod DB Louisville
23 240 Detroit Robinson, Corey T South Carolina
24 241 Cleveland Ekpre-Olomu, Ifo DB Oregon
25 242 Oakland Mcdonald, Dexter DB Kansas
26 243 Dallas Gibson, Laurence T Virginia Tech
27 244 San Francisco Brown, Trenton T Florida
28 245 Tennessee Mcbride, Tre WR William & Mary
29 246 Dallas Swaim, Geoff TE Texas
30 247 New England Roberts, Darryl DB Marshall
31 248 Seattle Murphy, Ryan DB Oregon State
32 249 Atlanta King, Akeem DB San Jose State
* 33 250 Denver Siemian, Trevor QB Northwestern
* 34 251 Denver Nixon, Taurean DB Tulane
* 35 252 Denver Furman, Josh DB Oklahoma St.
* 36 253 New England Dickson, Xzavier DE Alabama
* 37 254 San Francisco Anderson, Rory TE South Carolina
* 38 255 Indianapolis Good, Denzelle T Mars Hill
* 39 256 Arizona Christian, Gerald TE Louisville
FINAL COMPLETE DRAFT TOTALS
POSITIONS
47 - Defensive Back
37 - Linebacker
34 - Wide Receiver
26 - Tackle
23 - Defensive End, Running Back
18 - Tight End
16 - Defensive Tackle, Guard
7 - Quarterback
5 - Center
2 - Nose Tackle
1 - Long Snapper, Punter
CONFERENCES
54 - SEC
47 - ACC
39 - Pac-12
35 - Big Ten
25 - Big 12
11 - AAC
10 - MWC
6 - C-USA
4 - MAC, MVFC
3 - CAA, SBC
2 - Independent, OVC, South Atlantic, Southern, Southland
1 - Big Sky, Big South, Liberty, MEAC, Southwestern Athletic
SCHOOLS
11 - Florida State
10 - Louisville
8 - Florida
7 - Alabama, Miami
6 - Missouri, Oklahoma, USC, Stanford
5 - Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Oregon,
Oregon State, Texas
4 - Arizona State, LSU, Michigan State, Minnesota, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia
3 - Boston College, Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, UCLA, UAB
2 - Baylor, Central Florida, Colorado State, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas State,
Kentucky, Mayland, Memphis, Northwestern, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee
State, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas State, Tulane, Virginia, Virginia Tech,
Washington State, Wisconsin
1 - Boise State, Buffalo, Central Arkansas, Central Michigan, Chattanooga,
Delaware, Delaware State, East Carolina, Eastern Washington, Florida Atlantic,
Hawaii, Hobart, Illinois State, Indiana, Louisiana-Lafayette, Mars Hill, Marshall,
Miami (OH), Mississippi, Monmouth (NJ), Navy, Newberry, North Dakota State,
Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Northwestern State (LA), Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rice, Samford, San Diego State, San Jose State,
Southern Illinois, Southern Mississippi, Texas Southern, Towson, Wake Forest,
William & Mary, Wyoming
TIME OF ROUND 7
1 hour, 27 minutes
9
@TexansPR
TEXANS 2015 DRAFT CLASS
KEVIN JOHNSON
CORNERBACK
30
• Had six total tackles, including an assist on a sack and four solo stops, vs. Clemson
(Oct. 25)
• Also forced a fumble and broke up four passes against the Tigers
• Named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week following his performance in the Boston
College game where he recorded his third interception of the season to go along with
seven tackles, including a season-high five solo, and two pass breakups
• Had a forced fumble, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup to go with eight tackles at
NC State (Nov. 10)
• Made four tackles and had three pass breakups at Notre Dame (Nov. 17)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 188 | College: Wake Forest |
Hometown: Clarksville, Md | Rookie |
1st with Texans | Age: 22 | Acquired: D1-’15 |
Teams: Houston, 2015
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NFL
Draft.
2011:
• Redshirted the season as a member of the scout team in practice
• Declared academically ineligible to compete in games during the season
CAREER AT WAKE FOREST:
• Played in 47 career games at Wake Forest, starting the last 41 games he appeared in
for the Demon Deacons.
• Recorded 191 tackles (125 solo), seven interceptions, 35 pass breakups, three forced
fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four season
2010:
• One of three true freshmen to play for Wake Forest in 2010, appearing in 11 games
with five starts
• Tallied 31 tackles on the season, including 20 solo stops and two pass breakups
• Made collegiate debut vs. Presbyterian (Sept. 2), recording four tackles
• Made two solo tackles at Stanford (Sept. 18)
• Tied for the team lead with nine tackles and also had two pass breakups at Virginia
Tech (Oct. 16)
• Made first start of collegiate career at Maryland (Oct. 30), making three tackles
• Had five stops vs. Boston College (Nov. 6)
• Recorded four tackles, with three solo stops, at NC State (Nov. 13)
• Started and made three solo stops at Vanderbilt (Nov. 27) and recorded his first career
tackle for loss.
2014:
• Received honorable mention All-ACC from the media and second team from the ACC
Coaches and second team All-ACC by Phil Steele
• Finished his career with 35 pass break-ups, the fourth-highest total in school history
• Had 43 tackles on the season and 3.5 tackles for loss as a senior
• Tied for the team lead with six pass breakups
• Played in the Senior Bowl following the season
• Credited with a punt return for a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt in the end
zone at ULM (Aug. 28)
• Finished the game with five tackles and a pass breakup
• Made two solo tackles against GWU (Sept. 6)
• Totaled four tackles at Utah State (Sept. 13), three of them solo
• Earned one solo tackle vs. Army (Sept. 20)
• Made one tackle at Louisville (Sept. 27), but was ejected after the hit was ruled a targeting penalty early in the opening quarter
• Notched two pass breakups and a tackle for loss at Florida State (Oct. 4)
• Made six tackles against Syracuse (Oct.18) and Boston College (Oct. 25)
• Had a strong all-around game vs. Clemson (Nov. 6), totaling five tackles, one tackle for
loss, an interception, pass breakup and a fumble recovery on a muffed punt
• Totaled five tackles at NC State (Nov. 15)
• Recorded season-high seven tackles, a half tackle for loss and two pass breakups vs.
Virginia Tech (Nov. 22)
HIGH SCHOOL:
• A 2010 graduate of River Hill High School in Clarksville, Md.
• Led the country by rushing for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns on 137 carries as a
senior, averaging nearly nine yards per carry
• Had 12 receptions for 251 yards and three scores
• Made 25 tackles to go with three interceptions while being named to the all-county team
• Named first team all-state and first team All-Met at cornerback
• Named Columbia Flier/Howard County Times Offensive Player of the Year as a senior
• Two-year starter on both sides of the ball for Coach Brian Van Deusen
• Helped the Hawks to 2A state championships in 2007 and 2008
• Team moved to Class 3A in 2009 and lost in the state semifinal, snapping a 40-game
winning streak
• Had three receptions for 85 yards and three touchdowns as a junior and also recorded
50 tackles, three interceptions and scored six touchdowns
• Was part of a River Hill defense that recorded 11 shutouts in 2007, five in 2008 and five
more in 2009
• The Hawks were 47-3 during his four varsity seasons
• Played in the Crab Bowl that pits the top high school players in an all-star game between
Maryland’s and Washington D.C.’s top players.
2013:
• Named All-ACC honorable mention by the media and third team All-ACC by the ACC
Coaches
• Started all 12 games at cornerback, finishing with 58 tackles (39 solo), three interceptions, one forced fumble and a team-best 12 pass breakups
• Ranked second in the ACC with 1.25 passes defended per game
• Served as a punt returner, finishing with four returns for 15 yards on the season
• Had two pass breakups and an interception in the season opener vs. Presbyterian (Aug.
29)
• Had his second interception in as many games, picking off a pass to go with three
tackles at Boston College (Sept. 6)
• Had two pass breakups and seven tackles at Clemson (Sept. 28)
• Recorded his third interception of the season and returned it 45 yards vs. NC State (Oct.
5) to go along with seven tackles in the win
• Had four tackles and a season-high three pass breakups vs. Maryland (Oct. 19)
• Recorded another pass breakup to go along with three tackles at No. 7 Miami (Oct. 26)
• Had four tackles and two pass breakups vs. Florida State (Nov. 9)
• Forced a fumble and turned in five tackles vs. Duke (Nov. 23)
• Made a season-high nine tackles with two pass breakups at Vanderbilt (Nov. 30)
2012:
• Played in and started all 12 games on the year, finishing with 58 tackles (34 solo), 3.5
tackles for loss, a half-sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery
• Named honorable mention All-ACC by the coaches
• Led the team with 15 pass breakups and three interceptions
• Ranked second in the ACC in passes defended with 18 which tied for second in school
history, just one behind Merrill Noel’s school record set in 2011
• Tied for eighth in the league with three interceptions
• Made a season-high 10 tackles and had a pass breakup in the season opener vs. Liberty (Sept. 1)
• Recorded five tackles and broke up a pass vs. North Carolina (Sept. 8)
• Had four tackles, three of them solo, and a quarterback hurry at Florida State (Sept. 15)
• Had two tackles and broke up a pass vs. Duke (Sept. 29)
• Recorded four tackles, made his first career interception and broke up a pass at Maryland (Oct. 6)
• Finished with four tackles, including two for loss, a fumble recovery and an interception
at Virginia (Oct. 20)
10
@TexansPR
BENARDRICK McKINNEY
LINEBACKER
55
Made career-best 14 tackles at home versus Texas A&M
Totaled six tackles and a pass breakup at LSU
Tallied eight stops and a fumble recovery in victorious home finale against Arkansas
Finished regular season strong with 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup
at Ole Miss
• Recorded five tackles in the final game of the season against Northwestern in the Gator
Bowl
•
•
•
•
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 246 | College: Mississippi State |
Hometown: Tunica, Miss. | Rookie |
1st with Texans | Age: 22 | Acquired: D2-’15 | Teams: Houston, 2015 |
2011:
• Sat out his first season as a redshirt freshman
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 11th pick in the third round (43rd
overall of 2015 NFL Draft.
HIGH SCHOOL
• A top defensive prospect in the state of Mississippi and was the first Rosa Fort player to
sign with an SEC program since 2001
• Led the RFHS Lions to a 3-3 finish in Region 2 play and a first-round playoff appearance
in the Class 4A state playoffs
• Selected by the state’s high school coaches to the North/South All-Star Game as a
linebacker
• Started at quarterback for Rosa Fort during senior season and accounted for 2,036 total
yards of offense and 22 touchdowns with 1,334 passing and 702 yards on the ground
• Credited with 66 tackles from linebacker spot
• Threw for 530 yards with five touchdowns as a junior
• Started for the Rosa Fort basketball team
CAREER AT MISSISSIPPI STATE:
• One of the all-time great linebackers in Mississippi State history, becoming the program’s
first first-team All-America linebacker since 1999 as he was Mississippi State’s top
tackler in his final two seasons
• Played in 39 games with 36 starts in three seasons and recorded 244 tackles, 19.5
tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, seven passes defensed and six fumble recoveries
2014:
• The leader of the ‘psycho defense’ who earned first-team All-America honors from the
Football Writers Association, ESPN, Phil Steele and Sports Illustrated
• Started all 13 games at middle linebacker and for the second straight year, was the
Bulldogs’ top tackler recording 71 with eight tackles for loss, three sacks, four passes
defensed, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble
• Concluded his career with a team-best 10 tackles in the Orange Bowl against Georgia Tech
• Totaled nine tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss against No. 6 Texas A&M (10/4)
• Tied a team-high with seven tackles in the win at No. 8 LSU (9/20)
• Named MSU’s Defensive Player of the Week following the win vs. UAB (9/6) after
tallying a game-high 12 tackles to go along with a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss
• Became the first MSU player since Fletcher Cox in October 2011 to record at least 3.5
tackles for loss in a single game
• Recovered a fumble, made five tackles and had a pass defensed in the win against No.
2 Auburn (10/11)
• Made four solo tackles, forced a fumble for the first time in his career and also recovered
a fumble in the road win at Kentucky (10/25)
2013:
• Named to College Football News’ All-Sophomore squad
• Racked up a team-best 71 total tackles, which ranked fourth among all sophomores in
the SEC
• Tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 7.0 for a loss of 44 yards
• Tops among all Bulldogs in sacks with 3.5 for a loss of 36 yards
• Also recovered two fumbles during the year
• Recorded a team second-best seven tackles in season-opener versus Oklahoma State
(8/31)
• Turned in year’s best game at Auburn (9/14), leading team with nine tackles
• Got off to a strong start against the Tigers, recording four stops in the opening quarter,
and six in the initial half
• Tied for team lead with five tackles against Troy (9/21), all in the first half
• Returned a fumble 26 yards in the opening quarter against the Trojans
• Tied for the team lead with eight tackles versus Bowling Green (10/12)
• Finished second on the squad with 10 tackles against Kentucky (10/24), including five
in the opening quarter
• Recorded first sack of the season at South Carolina (11/2), hitting Connor Shaw for a
13-yard loss in the first quarter
• Booked a personal-best 1.5 sacks at Texas A&M (11/9), dropping Johnny Manziel twice
for a combined loss of 19 yards
• Paced the Bulldogs with six total tackles against the Aggies
2012:
• Named a First-Team Freshman All-American by CBSSports.com, FoxSportsNext, Phil
Steele and CollegeFootballNews.com
• Burst onto the scene as one of the top underclassmen linebackers in the country,
playing in all 13 games, including starts in the last 10
• Led all SEC freshmen and tied for second among freshman in the FBS with 102 tackles,
which also ranked sixth overall in the SEC
• Earned All-SEC Freshman honors by the SEC coaches and ESPN.com
• Totaled 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery
• Collected four tackles each in the wins versus Jackson State and Auburn, before making
eight tackles in road debut at Troy
• Recorded a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss to go with eight total tackles in the home
victory against South Alabama
• Named Co-SEC Freshman of the Week after posting 12 tackles (10 solo), 1.0 tackles for
loss and first two career pass breakups in the SEC road win at Kentucky
• Racked up a career-high 14 tackles the next week at home against Tennessee
• Collected five tackles in homecoming win versus Middle Tennessee State
• Registered a 13-yard sack and four tackles at Alabama
11
@TexansPR
JAELEN STRONG
WIDE RECEIVER
11
• Had 12 receptions and 168 yards, both career-highs, against Stanford (9/21) and his
168 yards receiving were the fifth-most in a single game in the Pac- 12 Conference
this season.
• Led team in receiving yards with 104 in his second career appearance for ASU against
Wisconsin (9/14).
• Led the team in receiving in his first career actions with six receptions for 58 yards and
a touchdown against Sacramento State.
• His 24-yard touchdown grab came with a defender draped over his back as pass
interference was being called.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 217 | College: Arizona State |
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa. | Rookie |
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the sixth pick in the third round (70th
overall) of 2015 NFL Draft.
2012 (PIERCE COLLEGE):
• One of the nation’s most productive junior college wide receivers
• Caught 67 passes for 1,263 yards with 15 touchdowns in 10 games in 2012
• Joins junior college teammate Joseph Morris as members of ASU’s 2013 class
• Sat out in 2011 and will have four years to play three at ASU starting in 2013
• Coached by Efrain Martinez at Pierce College
• Verbally committed to ASU on Christmas Day 2012
CAREER AT ARIZONA STATE:
• Saw action in 26 career games in two seasons with the Sun Devils making 157
receptions for 2,287 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns
• His career receptions total ranks fifth in all-time in school history
2014 (ARIZONA STATE):
• Tallied four All-American Awards including Sporting News All-America (Second Team),
Sports Illustrated All-America (Second Team), CBSSports.com All-America (Second
Team) and ESPN.com All-America
• Named to the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 First Team and Phil Steele All-America Third Team
and was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist
• Recorded 82 receptions, good for third in the Arizona State record books for a singleseason effort and his 1,165 yards receiving placed him fifth for single-season yardage
marks as a Sun Devil, while also recording 10 touchdowns
• Opened the season with 10 catches for 146 yards in just a half of action against Weber
State (8/28)
• Caught his first touchdown reception of the year against UNM (9/6) and finished the
game with 43 yards on three catches
• Led ASU receivers with 77 yards on six grabs with a touchdown against Colorado (9/13)
• Tied a career high with 12 receptions for a season-high 146 yards against UCLA (9/25)
• Has nine 100+ yard receiving games in his career, third-most in ASU history behind only
Derek Hagan (18) and Shaun McDonald (13)
• Grabbed 10 balls for 202 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning Hail
Mary reception against USC (10/4)
• Had eight catches for 75 yards and a touchdown against Stanford (10/18)
• Had a touchdown catch in his third consecutive game against Washington (10/25) and
finished with 55 total yards
• Made it four straight games with a touchdown reception against Utah (11/1), finishing
with five catches for 77 yards in addition
• Had a touchdown grab for the fifth straight game against Notre Dame (11/8), finishing
with five catches for 58 yards
• Posted his 11th career 100-yard game with 103 yards on nine receptions against
Oregon State (11/15)
• After sitting out of the Washington State game, Strong posted a four catch, 80-yard
performance in Tucson including a touchdown.
• In his final game as a Sun Devil, he caught seven passes from Taylor Kelly for 103 yards
in the win over Duke at the Sun Bowl.
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Graduated from West Philadelphia (Pa.) Catholic High School in 2011 and had
scholarship offers from Eastern Michigan, Villanova and VMI before opting to attend
Pierce College
• Had team-highs of 17 receptions for 318 yards and four touchdowns as a senior
• Had a season-high 109 yards on three receptions with two touchdowns against
Philadelphia (Pa.) Archbishop Ryan on Oct. 2, 2010
• Caught 24 passes for 385 yards with four touchdowns as a junior in 2009
• Posted season-bests of five receptions for 92 yards with a touchdown against Wyndmoor
(Pa.) La Salle College High School on Sept. 18, 2009
• Coached by Brian Fluck at West Catholic
2013 (ARIZONA STATE):
• Had a breakout first year as a Sun Devil recording 75 receptions for 1,122 yards and
seven touchdowns on his way to Second-Team All-Pac-12 Honors.
• Phil Steele First Team All-Pac-12 member.
• Named a preseason candidate for the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s most outstanding
receiver) and the Maxwell Award (America’s College Player of the Year) Watch Lists.
• Led ASU in receiving yards while becoming the John Jefferson Outstanding Receiver
Award winner.
• Announced to College Football News Second Team Sophomore All-America.
• Had five consecutive 100+ yard games in his first six starts.
• Became the first wide receiver in ASU history to accomplish more than one 100+ yard
games in his first four starts, doing so three times in that span.
• Finished with seven 100+ yard receiving games on the season.
• Sits in fifth on ASU’s all-time single season receptions list after just 14 games… Had a
total of 47 receptions result in a first down.
• Accounted for 29 explosive plays (receptions over 16 yards and rushes over 12 yards),
second-highest on the team.
• Aided the offense to score 91.3 percent of the time against FBS opponents in the red
zone, sixth nationally.
• Part of a historic ASU offense which finished 10th nationally at 39.7 points per game and
scored 556 total points, just six points behind the 1972 school record.
• Had his seventh 100+ yard receiving game of the season against Arizona (11/30) with
four receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown.
• Had his sixth 100+ yard game against Oregon State (11/16), logging seven catches for
106 yards.
• Needed just three catches against Colorado (10/12) to eclipse 100 yards, finishing with
109 in the game with a touchdown.
• Had eight grabs for 136 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame (10/5).
12
@TexansPR
KEITH MUMPHERY
WIDE RECEIVER
12
2011:
• Honored with the Harold & Raynor Shnider Office of the Provost Award at the Spartan
Academic Excellence Gala, which is presented to a freshman or sophomore studentathlete who embodies the characteristics promoted by Student-Athlete Support Services,
with emphasis on academic performance, community involvement and leadership ability
• Saw action in all 14 games, primarily on special teams, to earn his first letter
• Had two receptions for 39 yards
• Had an 8-yard catch vs. Florida Atlantic and a 31-yard catch against Central Michigan
and also made two tackles on special teams.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 215 | College: Michigan State |
Hometown: Vienna, Ga. | Rookie |
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 39th pick in the fifth round (175th
2010:
• Redshirted the 2010 season
• Presented the Jim Adams Award (unsung hero) after being selected Scout Team
Offensive Player of the Year
• Named Scout Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Michigan
• Tabbed Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week vs. Western Michigan.
CAREER AT MICHIGAN STATE:
• Three-year starter at flanker and four-year letterwinner who recorded 88 catches for
1,348 yards (15.3 avg.) and seven touchdowns in 54 career games, including 26 starts
• Also had 14 carries for 125 yards (8.9 avg.) and one touchdown in his career
2014:
• Started in 11 of 13 games for the Spartans and ranked second on the team in receiving
yards (495) and tied for fourth in receptions (26) and scored four touchdowns (three
receiving, one rushing)
• Led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten and 16th in the NCAA FBS in yards per
catch (19.0 avg.)
• Had six carries for 85 yards (14.2 avg.) and one touchdown
• Recipient of Michigan State’s Football Player Association’s Community Service and
Outreach Award for the second straight year and also won the Clarence Underwood
Sportsmanship Award .
• In his final game in a Spartan uniform, had four catches for a career-high 87 yards,
including the game-winning touchdown grab (10 yards) from Connor Cook with 17
seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that capped a 20-point rally against Baylor in
the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic
• Was one of three players presented a game ball by head coach Mark Dantonio following
the second-biggest comeback in Cotton Bowl Classic history
• Caught three passes for 46 yards, including a 25-yard reception, at Penn State .
• Had four catches for 61 yards on Senior Day against Rutgers and was named Spartan
Offensive Player of the Week
• Led team with 78 receiving yards on two catches, including a 62-yard reception, at
Maryland; named Spartan Offensive Player of the Week against the Terrapins
• Hauled in three receptions for 72 yards, including a 44-yard catch and a 10-yard TD
grab, vs. No. 14 Ohio State
• Had two catches for 34 yards in the win over No. 19 Nebraska
• Collected 52 all-purpose yards in the win over Wyoming and scored multiple touchdowns
in one game for the first time in his career (6-yard TD catch; three rushes for 46 yards,
including a 33-yard TD run)
• Caught two passes for 23 yards at No. 3 Oregon
• Had a 43-yard reception in the season opener against Jacksonville State
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Named to SuperPrep’s All-Dixie and PrepStar’s All-Southeast Teams
• Two-year starter for Coach Darryl Silas at Dooly County High School in Vienna, Georgia
• Had 37 receptions for 611 yards (16.5 avg.) and 16 touchdowns as a senior
• Caught nine passes for 123 yards and two scores vs. Northeast Macon in 2009
• Earned first-team all-state honors from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a junior
• 2008 honorable mention all-state pick by The Associated Press and Georgia Sports
Writers Association
• Selected first-team All-Middle Georgia as a junior when he had 49 catches for 970 yards
(19.8 avg.) and 14 touchdowns in 2008
• Recorded 78 tackles and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, as a junior
on defense
2013:
• Had 18 catches for 299 yards (16.6 avg.) and three touchdowns
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree for the second straight year
• Recipient of MSU’s Football Player Association’s Community Service & Outreach Award
• Had a 20-yard catch in the 100th Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford
• Caught two passes for a season-high 84 yards, including a career-long 72-yard reception
for a touchdown, in MSU’s win over No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game
• His only reception in the victory at Nebraska was a 27-yard TD pass from Connor Cook
on third down in the fourth quarter to give MSU a 34-21 lead in the eventual 41-28 win .
• Had 77 receiving yards on three catches, including a 47-yard TD reception, at Illinois
• Tied for team lead with four receptions for 24 yards in season opener vs. Western
Michigan.
2012:
• Led the team in receptions (42) and ranked second in receiving yards (515)
• Saw action in all 13 games, including 12 starting assignments at flanker
• Tied for team lead with seven catches of 20-plus yards
• Tied for first on the team with 28 first-down catches
• Also had 38 yards rushing on six carries (6.3 avg.)
• Academic All-Big Ten selection
• Recipient of the team’s Tommy Love Award (most improved player: offense)
• Tied his career high in receptions (6) and had 79 receiving yards vs. Northwestern .
• Had five receptions for 63 yards in overtime win at Wisconsin
• Compiled 86 all-purpose yards vs. Iowa (four catches for 71 yards; two rushes for 15
yards)
• Had five catches for 79 yards against No. 14 Ohio State and scored his first career
touchdown on a 29-yard reception from Andrew Maxwell in the third quarter; on his
touchdown catch, he broke several tackles before diving into the end zone
• Had a career-high six catches for 71 yards vs. No. 20 Notre Dame
• Hauled in four catches for 52 yards in his first career start at Central Michigan.
13
@TexansPR
RESHARD CLIETT
LINEBACKER
58
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 222 | College: South Florida |
Hometown: Thomasville, Ga. | Rookie |
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 35th pick in the sixth round (211th
CAREER AT SOUTH FLORIDA:
• Saw action in 42 games in his four-year career, starting 27 games
• Recorded 139 career tackles (95 solo), 9.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble
recovery
2014:
• As s team captain, led USF with a career-best six sacks
• Finished the season with 7.5 tackles for loss, posting at least one in seven games,
recorded 38 tackles (30 solo)
• Had seven tackles in a win at SMU (11/15)
• Posted five tackles at Memphis (11/22)
• Had four tackles and a sack vs. UCF (11/28)
• Forced a fumble vs. Maryland (9/6)
• Graduated in December (2014) with a degree in interdisciplinary social sciences
• Invited to compete in the Medal of Honor Bowl and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
2013:
• Finished second on the team with 56 tackles and added seven tackles for loss, one
sack, and three pass break-ups
• Led the team with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass break-ups in the
season-opener vs. McNeese State (8/31)
• Had seven tackles at Michigan State (9/7)
• Posted seven tackles in win over Cincinnati (10/5)
• Posted six tackles and a sack vs. No. 18 Louisville (10/26)
• Led USF with six tackles and had two tackles for loss vs. Memphis (11/16)
• Logged seven tackles in season finale at Rutgers (12/7)
• Awarded the Frank Morsani Leadership Award at the annual USF post-season banquet
2012:
• Posted 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, three pass break ups, and a fumble
recovery on the season
• Notched a fumble recovery against Rutgers
• Earned his first career start versus Florida St.
• Tallied nine tackles and a half tackle for loss at Louisville
• Notched 11 tackles and a sack against Syracuse
• Added six tackles and a pressure versus UConn
• Tallied four tackles, a half tackle for loss and a pass defensed at Miami
• Posted five tackles and a pass defensed against Pitt
2011:
• Appeared in nine games at linebacker and on special teams
• Posted five tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackle for loss, a pressure and a pass defensed
• Notched a tackle and a pressure at Notre Dame
• Recorded a half tackle for loss against Ball State
• Posted his first career sack versus Louisville
2010:
• Redshirted
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Had 97 tackles and four interceptions as a senior from his safety position during his time
at Thomas County Central High School
• Missed all of his junior season due to injury
14
@TexansPR
CHRISTIAN COVINGTON
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 289 | College: Rice |
Hometown: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Rookie |
95
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 40th pick in the sixth round (216th
CAREER AT RICE:
• Chose to enter NFL Draft after an injury shortened 2014 campaign
• First Rice interior defensive lineman drafted since Cornelius Walker in 1976 (Kansas
City, 3rd round, 59th overall selection)
2014:
• Saw his season come to an end after an injury at FIU resulted in knee surgery
• Credited with 1.5 sacks and broke up a pass to go with five tackles vs. North Texas
• Credited with seven stops, one for loss and recovered a fumble vs. Army as Owls held
the Cadets to 69 yards under their season rushing average
2013:
• First-team All C-USA pick by league coaches as well as Dave Campbell’s Texas
Football’s All-Texas College second team
• Led team with career-high 11.5 tackles for loss among his 59 stops, including four sacks
• Credited with a career-best six solo tackles vs. UAB
• Partially deflected pass that Michael Kutzler caught and ran back for a TD vs. Kansas
and blocked the field goal vs. Houston that Alex Lyons returned for a score
• Credited with a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss vs. Kansas
2012:
• Named to USA Today’s All-Bowl team for his efforts vs. Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl
• Completed the season with 20 quarterback hurries, 43 tackles (25 solo), eight tackles
for loss, five sacks, forced one fumble and one pass breakup
• Led C-USA freshmen and was tied for second nationally among first year players with
five sacks
• Had a tackle for loss in each of the last five games of the season, including sacks in
four of the last five
• Had a season high of seven tackles against Marshall
2011:
• Redshirted
HIGH SCHOOL
• Provincial Defensive MVP while leading the Vancouver College Prep Fighting Irish to the
Provincial Championship and ranked as the top defensive lineman in Canada
• Credited with 83 tackles, including 15 sacks as a senior
• Had 276 tackles and 38 sacks in his career
• Credited with four tackles in the 2010 National Underclassmen Combine All World
Gridiron Classic in Charleston, S.C.
15
@TexansPR
KENNY HILLIARD
RUNNING BACK
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 226 | College: LSU |
Hometown: Patterson, La. | Rookie |
38
2011:
• Played in 13 games with no starts and tied for the team lead in touchdowns scored with
nine total (eight rushing, one receiving)
• His eight rushing touchdowns was the most in a single season by an LSU freshman
since Justin Vincent rushed for 10 touchdowns as a freshman in 2003
• Scored a career-high three touchdowns in the SEC Championship Game against
Georgia when he rushed for two touchdowns and caught one in the third quarter
• Posted two rushing touchdowns against Auburn, Western Kentucky and Georgia
• Earned SEC Freshman of the Week distinction after he set career highs with 19 carries
and 102 yards and also added one touchdown against Arkansas
• Produced two one-yard touchdowns against Western Kentucky
• Stepped in at running back against Auburn and rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns
on 10 carries
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans with the 18th pick in the seventh round
(235th overall) of 2015 NFL Draft.
CAREER AT LSU:
• Four-year letterwinner at running back for the Tigers
• Played in 48 game with seven starts
• Rushed for 1,547 yards and 27 touchdowns as part of a talented and deep LSU backfield
• Tied for No. 8 in LSU history in career rushing touchdowns with 27
• Senior season cut short after he suffered a shoulder injury against Alabama
• Had four 100-yard rushing games for career, which included a career-best of 141 yards
in win over North Texas in 2012
• Member of LSU’s 2011 team that posted a 13-0 record during the regular season and
captured the SEC title
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Set Louisiana High School record with 8,603 rushing yards during his career at Patterson
• Added 106 rushing touchdowns during prep career
• Finished senior season with 279 carries for 1,804 yards and 22 touchdowns despite
missing two games due to injury
• Rushed for 1,825 yards and 18 touchdowns as a freshman and continued his high
school career with back-to-back seasons of more than 2,000 yards rushing with 2,377
yards and 34 touchdowns as a sophomore and 2,512 yards and 32 touchdowns as a
junior
2014:
• Tallied four All-American Awards including Sporting News All-America (Second Team),
Sports Illustrated All-America (Second Team), CBSSports.com All-America (Second
Team) and ESPN.com All-America
• Named to the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 First Team and Phil Steele All-America Third Team
and was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist
• Recorded 82 receptions, good for third in the Arizona State record books for a singleseason effort and his 1,165 yards receiving placed him fifth for single-season yardage
marks as a Sun Devil, while also recording 10 touchdowns
• Played in 11 games with six starts
• Missed final two contests of season after suffering shoulder injury on first possession
of Alabama game
• Got the start against Crimson Tide and carried the ball on LSU’s first three plays, picking
up 15 yards and a first down
• Injured on third carry and never returned to game
• Finished year third on team with 447 yards and six touchdowns
• Opened season with 110 yards and a TD in helping to comeback win over Wisconsin
in Houston
• Amassed 93 of his 110 yards against Wisconsin during the fourth quarter highlighted
by a 28-yard TD which ended up being the game-winning score with 9:41 remaining
in the game
• Recorded his fourth career 100-yard rushing effort and first since Sept. 2012
• Chipped in 55 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown against Sam Houston State
• Totaled 50 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown versus ULM
• Notched a 1-yard rushing touchdown against Mississippi State, his fourth straight game
with a score
• Secured 1-yard scores at Auburn and at Florida
• Chipped in 50 of his 63 rushing yards versus No. 3 Ole Miss during the 4th quarter.
2013:
• Played in 12 games with no starts, rushing for 310 yards and seven touchdowns on 68 carries
• Scored career-best three rushing touchdowns on six carries in win over Mississippi State
• Had rushing TDs over 34, 3, and 4 yards in 59-26 win over the Bulldogs
• Best overall outing came against Ole Miss with 58 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries
• Scored a TD and rushed for 54 yards in win over UAB in week 2
• Added a rushing touchdown in shootout against Georgia
• Other touchdown came in 34-10 win over Top10-ranked Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium.
2012:
• Played in 12 games with one start and ranked second on team with 464 rushing yards
and six touchdowns
• Opened season with career-best 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns s in win over
North Texas
• Had first start of his career vs. Auburn and had 40 rushing yards on 10 carries, while also
catching one pass for seven yards in 12-10 win and followed that with 46 yards and two
touchdowns in 41-3 win over Washington
• Had his third straight game with two rushing touchdowns against Idaho while rushing for
116 rushing yards on 11 carries
• Became the first LSU player since LaBrandon Toefield in 2001 to have at least two
rushing touchdowns in three straight games
• Also, became the first LSU running back to rush for 2 touchdowns in each of the first
three games of a season since Charles Alexander in 1978
• Joined Alfred Blue to become the first duo of LSU running backs each to eclipse 100
yards rushing in a season opener since 1982
16
@TexansPR
TEXANS 2015 DRAFT TRANSCRIPTS
CB Kevin Johnson Conference Call
Thursday, April 30, 2015
(Transcribed by Omar Majzoub)
and a graduate. It’s awesome to be able to represent my school in that
light. As far as being a first-round draft pick, I’m just trying to get on the
team and help in any way I can.”
(on the NFL player he looked up to growing up) “Champ Bailey, just
growing up playing cornerback and watching him, that was the guy that I
wanted to be like.”
(on when he found out about getting drafted and what it means to join
the Texans) “I was just sitting in the green room. I think it was pick 15 up
on the screen and the Houston Texans called me and told me they were
going to draft me. I was just overwhelmed with joy and extremely excited.”
(on what it means to be a first-round draft pick) “It means a lot. It’s a
blessing, a blessing. I’m kind of lost for words right now, just extremely
excited that I was a first-round pick and maybe tonight I’ll be able to think
about that a little bit more. Right now, I’m just thinking about how I can help
the Texans become a better team and earn the respect from the coaches
and the veterans.”
(on joining a defense with DE J.J. Watt) “It’s going to be great. I’m sure
there’s a ton of great players on the team and I’m just trying to learn from
those guys and help out in any way I can.”
(on if he knew he was this high on the Texans draft board) “No, no I
didn’t.”
(on if he has ever been to Texas) “I visited the Cowboys, that was the
only time I’ve been to Texas.”
(on how many times he talked to the Texans during the draft process)
“I talked to them at the Combine. I talked to them at the Combine twice.”
(on if he has ever been to Houston) “Never to Houston.”
(on meeting with the Texans) “Yeah, one informally and one formally.”
------------------------------------
(on if he met with the Texans any other times) “No.”
Executive Vice President of Football Operations and
General Manager Rick Smith and Head Coach Bill O’Brien
First-Round Press Conference
Thursday, April 30, 2015
(on being academically ineligible his sophomore year) “It was a time in
my life where it hurt me not to play and go out and battle with my teammates. It definitely helped me mature as a man and helped shaped me to
the person I’m trying to be today. Luckily, I bounced back from that, not
luckily, but I bounced back from that and I’m just excited that the Texans
drafted me.”
Rick Smith
(on what stood about CB Kevin Johnson) “He was by far my favorite
corner in the draft. When you talk about just a complete football player in
our opinion, this guy is an intelligent guy, he’s smart, he’s tough, he can
cover, he’s versatile, he plays on, he plays off, he’s got great instincts, and
great play on the ball. In Indy, we really liked him in the room. We thought
he was a good man and just enjoyed his career. He’s another guy that has
a career there. He’s a three-year starter there. I just really like the way he
plays football. He’s got good instincts, so we just really liked him. He’s a
guy that we had targeted and were just really happy he was there.”
(on Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins calling him the best cornerback
he faced in college and what he remembers about facing him) “He’s
a beast, man. He can do it all. It’s definitely great to be out there and play
against guys like him at a young age and kind of see what it’s like to play
against elite players.”
(on transitioning from college to the NFL at his size) “I’m just going to
get on the team with the Texans and do what the coaches tell me to do,
and I’m excited about that.”
(on liking CB Kevin Johnson more than every other cornerback in the
draft) “Yeah, when you can look at pictures and see this guy do everything
that we’re going to ask him to do on film and you saw that on tape. That’s
not taking anything away from Trae Waynes, we thought he was a great
player as well. But when we’re talking about versatility and we’re talking
about a guy who we saw do all the things that we’re going to ask him to do
and we think he can do it in the slot and we think he can do it on the edge.
When you put all those factors together and the way that he plays and how
instinctive he is, that’s why he was my favorite.”
(on if he has any connections with Houston) “No, no, I just got drafted
and that’s all I’ve been interacting with.”
(on if any of the Texans players have reached out to him yet) “No, I
haven’t even looked at my phone or anything like that really yet.”
(on what his best quality is as a player) “You know, just my athleticism
and my passion for the game. I would say those are my strengths.”
(on the opportunity to play with DBs D.J. Swearinger, Jonathan
Joseph and Kareem Jackson) “I mean, it’s going to be – it’s great that I
get to come into a situation like that and learn from those guys, guys that I
watched over the past six, seven years of my life. Just being able to learn
from those guys is going to be invaluable.”
(on the impression CB Kevin Johnson left on them in meetings) “Well,
he’s from a great family. He’s a young man who made some mistakes early
in his college career and I don’t know that he took things as seriously as
he needed to and had some academic trouble. Then all of a sudden, he
realizes what’s at stake and I like those kind of situations where a guy is
a young guy and might not be as mature as he needs to be, but then he
turns it around and he did. He goes in and comes back and he starts three
years and he graduates. He’s from a great family, so he represents what
we like our players to look like. He’s a Houston Texan.”
(on what it means to come from Wake Forrest and be a first-round
pick) “It’s great to be able to represent my school that way. I had a great
experience being at Wake Forrest University. I’m a proud (Demon) Deacon
17
@TexansPR
Bill O’Brien
(on the group of defensive backs with the addition of CB Kevin
Johnson) “We’re really happy where it’s at right now. We feel really good
about the corner position, specifically after tonight with the addition of
Kevin (Johnson). We have two really good veteran corners in Johnathan
(Joseph) and Kareem (Jackson) that he can learn behind. He’ll come in
and compete right away. Nothing will be given to any rookie, but he’ll be
given the opportunity to come in here and compete and we know he’s going to do that. It’s only April, but as far as April is concerned, we feel good
about the secondary.”
inside, he could play press, he could play off, he had good length, he was
competitive, and he was instinctive. It was obvious that he studied film and
we feel really good about his ability to transfer that ability to our league.”
(on his comfort level after the first round) “I mean, don’t I look comfortable to you? I mean, what do you want me to do? I’m really comfortable.
We communicate every day. We talk probably at the very least three or
four times a day, whether it’s face-to-face most of the time or text message
or on the phone. I consider him a very good friend. I think our process, it
takes a while to get to know each other, it’s not like we walked in the door
knowing each other for 20 years, so I think that’s part of it too. You get
to know him, his family, vice versa, and all those things. I think that as it
relates to a year ago to where we are now, I thought our process was really
good this year, led by Rick (Smith) and the conversations were good. I
thought our coaching staff in combination with our scouting staff did a really
good job of communicating and talking things through. We believe in where
we’re headed. We have a strong belief in what type of team we want. Like I
said, we feel very comfortable.”
(on CB Kevin Johnson contributing right away) “Yeah, our expectations
for any player that comes into our organization and our program is to compete and have a chance to play. So like, there’s no question that we think
that Kevin (Johnson) can come in here and compete. If he does the job on
the practice field, he’s going to get an opportunity in the games. That’s why,
like Rick (Smith) said, he’s a Houston Texan and we’re really happy about
having him on board.”
(on building the defense until the quarterback situation is settled)
“You know, ‘until we find our quarterback’ like I just want to make sure that
just personally I’m clear on that. We feel really good about our quarterback
position. To be honest with you, I’m a little tired of hearing that. We feel
good about our quarterback position. These guys are in here competing.
They’re learning. They’re doing a good job so far in the offseason workouts. We can’t wait to get out there and start working with them. Like I said,
it’s April. We feel like we’ve gotten off to a good start with our team in the
offseason program and, like I said, we can’t wait to start working with them
once we can get out there on the field.”
Rick Smith
(on his comfort level after the first round) “Yeah, I mean I mentioned
that the other day with respect to the process. I would echo what Bill
(O’Brien) just said to you about our personal relationship, but our professional relationship is so much more beneficial for everybody because we
are able to communicate at a level of depth this year that we weren’t last
year. I think that will continue the more familiar that we all are, whether it’s
just Bill and I or whether that’s our scouting staff and our coaching staff, I
think that was something that was really good this year that we were able
to really identify real clear visions for these players. That’s because we are
communicating effectively.”
Rick Smith
(on if they tried to trade back into the first round) “No, I mean, we’re
always talking to teams and whether it was when we were sitting at 16 and
talking to clubs that wanted to come back to us. We didn’t, we’re sitting
pretty good. We felt really good about getting Kevin (Johnson) and there’s
still a lot of good players left on the board.”
(on if Oregon QB Marcus Mariota and Miami WR Phillip Dorsett being
drafted made them feel more comfortable about taking CB Kevin
Johnson) “No, we’re not concerned about those moves. We’re focused on
what we’re doing right now.”
(on if they try not to tip their hand to other teams when contacting
players in the draft process) “Yeah, you know, I think our scouts do such
a great job of painting the picture of who these men are, first and foremost.
That’s through a lot of conversations with a lot of people. Although we only
directly communicated with him a few times, we were in constant contact,
I mean we were on the phone with his position coach yesterday. He didn’t
know that, and he didn’t need to know that. I feel good about our process,
it’s a very thorough process as it ought to be and I talk a lot of times about
this process being exhaustive because we are obviously counting on these
young men to come in and contribute to our football team. There was nothing that we needed to know about this young man that we didn’t know to
feel as comfortable as we do about his addition to our football team.”
(on if they had any discussions about trading down from 16) “I don’t
know that we, I mean we talked to multiple teams throughout the entire
draft. I don’t know how serious anything was or eminent it was. One of
the things that we contemplated was if Kevin (Johnson) wasn’t there, who
would we take obviously, and then all of the sudden when he’s there, we
felt so good about the pick that we decided to just take him.”
(on if they would have considered drafting Wisconsin RB Melvin
Gordon if he had been available) “I don’t even speculate that way, okay.
We got our guy and we’re happy with our guy.”
(on if they are looking for best available going forward or if they are
looking to address need) “We will stick to our plan. We talk about setting
a value and taking the players as they come, so we’ll continue to stick with
that plan.”
------------------------------------
Bill O’Brien
(on what he liked best about CB Kevin Johnson) “Where do you want
me to begin? I think Rick (Smith) answered it really well. One thing from a
coaching perspective that I liked was his versatility and his instincts. I felt in
the study that I did on him and that we did on him, that’s what stood out to
us is that, you know in college, he could play on the outside, he could play
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CB Kevin Johnson
General Manager Rick Smith
Head Coach Bill O’Brien
Friday, May 1, 2015
It’s going to be great, playing with a guy like that and just learning from a
guy like that every day. Being able to see his practice habits and how he
prepares on and off the field. It’s going to be invaluable.”
(on what he was doing when he got the call from the Texans) “I talked
to Mr. (Rick) Smith. I was sitting at the table and I just got the call. I picked
up the phone and it was the Texans. I was overwhelmed with joy. I was
kind of at a loss for words and just really excited.”
Kevin Johnson
(on this being his first trip to Houston) “It was a great experience, just
coming in. I was excited to come in and check out the facilities and meet
everybody again. It was a great experience coming in here for the first
time.”
(on if he was surprised when the Texans drafted him) “I was kind of
surprised. We met at the combine. I felt like there was some real good
vibes there, but after that we hadn’t talked much. It was kind of surprising in that sense that they called me, but as far as when it happened, I
definitely felt that connection when we met.”
(on never missing a game due to injury) “Yes sir. It’s very important. I’m
a competitive person. I’m going to try and go out there and play.”
(on Head Coach Bill O’Brien) “He’s a good coach. I’m very excited.”
(on the most exciting part about being a Houston Texan) “Just being a
part of a great organization. It’s been a lifelong dream to play in the NFL,
but now I’m just trying to come in here and go to work and earn the respect
from the players on the team as well as the coaches.”
(on his growth at Wake Forest and career there) “Yeah, definitely. Coming into Wake Forest, I was really small my freshman year. I came in and
was like 150-pounds, so just growing throughout being in college and being
able to play against guys like DeAndre Hopkins and other great players in
the ACC. I think that kind of molded me into the player I am now.”
(on what he needs to work on) ”I need to work on everything. Coming
into the NFL, there’s going to be bigger, better, faster players, so I want to
work on everything. Every part of my game I want to improve on.”
(on why he decided to attend Wake Forest) “It’s a great school academically. They have a good sports tradition and I felt at home there.”
(on WR DeAndre Hopkins calling him the best cornerback he played
against in college) “I played against him a couple years. It was pretty cool
to see that. It’s going to be real good to come in here and compete with a
guy like that every day in practice. It’s only going to make me better.”
(on his ties to Baltimore and thoughts on the situation there) “Yeah,
we definitely have great ties to Baltimore. Our family is from Baltimore. Obviously, my sister is a cheerleader on the Ravens. People seeing Baltimore
in that light, I just kind of want people to see Baltimore for what it is and
don’t think of Baltimore a certain way just from what’s going on right now.”
(on hitting a growth spurt after being five feet tall freshman year of
high school) “Yeah, I was legitimately five feet tall. The growth spurt just
kind of came out of nowhere. My mom always told me I was going to grow
and I would ask her why I wasn’t as tall as my other friends or as big. The
growth spurt kind of just happened. It’s a good deal now. “
(on giving back to the community) “It’s very important to me. Having an
opportunity to give back, that’s something that I didn’t do a lot of in college,
but I’m looking forward to it now.”
(on being confident and wanting the ball thrown his way) “Yeah, I just
think I’m a competitive person. I want to be a guy who can go out there,
impact the game, and help my team win.”
(on if the imagined playing in the NFL when he was that short) “Yeah,
I always thought I was going to play in the NFL and I kind of went about
things in that way. I think that was a pretty good thing.”
(on if being thrown in his freshman year contributed to his season of
academic ineligibility) “I think I just made a mistake. I learned from it and
owned up to it, and I think looking back on it now, it’s helped mold me into
the man I’m trying to be today. I’m grateful for what I went through, and I’m
just trying to better myself every day.”
Rick Smith
(welcoming the Johnson family) “If I could real quick, I do want to
welcome- obviously, we’re here to introduce you to Kevin (Johnson), but I
also want to welcome his family who’s accompanied him on the trek here.
Starting with father, Kevin Sr.; his mother, Judy; sister, Hilary; grandmother,
Miss Dorothy, and Aunt June. I think you will find that Houston is a good
city and a good place. We look forward to having you here with us. We’re
excited about his addition and just wanted to make sure we welcome you
as well.”
(on if anyone helped him get through that time and refocus) “Yeah, at
Wake Forest we had a great support staff, people helping me get back to
going to class and doing the right things.”
Bill O’Brien
(on what he likes about Kevin Johnson’s game) “Well I think probably
the thing that I saw the most on tape was his versatility. That’s the thing
that I think Rick (Smith) and I talk about quite a bit is that every position,
it’s really important, on offense and defense, to have versatility. So here’s
a guy that is going to come in here and compete as an outside corner. We
think that he can do some things on the inside of the coverage, special
teams, as you can tell right here he’s a humble young man that’s a hard
working guy, he’s a competitive guy, he doesn’t feel entitled, he feels like
Kevin Johnson
(on the Texans secondary led by cornerbacks Kareem Jackson and
Johnathan Joseph) “I know a pretty good deal about them. I used to
watch NFL tape in college and Johnathan Joseph was a corner that I would
check out. It’s going to be great to come in here and learn from those guys.
I’m going to soak it all up like a sponge, so I’m excited.”
(on playing with DE J.J. Watt) “I don’t know who that is. I’m just playing.
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he’s got to go out there and earn everything he’s going to get. That’s why
he’s here. So versatility, the type of person that he is, everybody that we’ve
talked to, our scouting staff did a great job on Kevin (Johnson) and like we
said last night, we’re excited to have him on board.”
and, like I said last night, we’re really happy as a coaching staff to have this
guy in our secondary.”
Rick Smith
(on why family is such an important thing to this organization) “Well
they’re important, obviously because he’s a representative first of himself,
and then his family second and then the organization third. So anytime you
can have like-minded people in a group, then it makes the group stronger.
We’ve got a sign hanging in this building that says we’re looking for tough,
smart, physical players that are competitive and passionate about the
game of football. I think those attributes reflect what this guy is all about, so
we’re excited about having him.”
ILB Benardrick McKinney Conference Call
Friday, May 1, 2015
------------------------------------
(on how he feels about the Texans trading up to get him) “I’m very excited, man. It’s a great honor.”
(on if he knew the Texans were interested in him) “I worked out with the
Texans. I felt great about the workout. They pushed me hard. Like I said, I’m
really just happy, man.”
Kevin Johnson
(on his high school battles and friendship with Ravens WR Michael
Campanaro) “Yeah no question, he’s my best friend and even going back
before high school, we played on the same little league team. We’ve been
competing against each other pretty much our whole lives and I think that’s
definitely helped mold me into- competing against a great player my whole
life has helped me.”
(on bringing the Mississippi State ‘Psycho Defense’ brand of football
to the Texans) “The Psycho Defense is something my defensive coordinator introduced us to, but I like to play and have fun. I’m ready to get out there
with the Texans and work hard and listen to my coaches.”
(on if he had a feeling the Texans would take him) “Not really, man. I had
no clue. I was just waiting on my name to be called, to be honest.”
(on if he specifically remembers any one-on-one situations with WR
DeAndre Hopkins) “I mean, I definitely remember going against him a few
times. He’s a great player. It’s great playing against a guy like that because
he’s going to bring out the best in you.”
(on the Texans trading up to get him) “It means a lot, man. They traded
for me. It shows that they really wanted me and were interested in me. When
I get there, I’m just going to work my heart out to be the best that I can be.”
(on playing quarterback in high school and if he wants to do it again)
“No, I’m used to hitting now. I’m not equipped to be a quarterback anymore.”
(on being extremely competitive on special teams even as a fifth year
senior at Wake Forrest and if he sees himself in that role with the
Texans) “Yeah, no question, special teams is a big part of the game. There
is three phases, offense, defense and special teams. I just want to go out
there and impact the team in any way I can.”
(on joining a defense with DE J.J. Watt) “It’s going to be great playing with
J.J. Watt. He’s going to teach me a lot of different things, teach me how to
be a great player like he is. I’m just going to listen and take coaching to be
the best player I can be on the field.”
Bill O’Brien
(on the maturity level and what a player who has been in college for
five years brings to the NFL) “I think there’s something to say for that, I
think every guy is a little bit different. Each individual has a different time
frame as far as their level of maturity and things like that, whether it’s on
the field or off the field. I think it’s obvious here right now that we have a
very mature young man here in Kevin (Johnson). I do think that level of
maturity definitely helps you when you make the jump from college to the
pros, because it’s a big jump, the speed of the game, the physicality of the
game, those things are big jumps from college to the pros. I think there’s
definitely a level of maturity that helps you. If you’re a mature young man
and you’re able to handle kind of the ups and downs early on in your career, you’re going to have a heck of a career and we have a guy here that’s
going to be able to do that.”
(on if he has ever been to Houston) “I’m not too familiar with Texas.”
(on his workout with the Texans) “They told me a lot of things. They
pushed me, most definitely pushed me to see what kind of player I was. I
enjoyed the workout and felt cool with the coaches.”
(on if he took a visit) “No, they worked me out at Mississippi State.”
(on talking with linebackers coach Mike Vrabel) “No, not really. I mean, I
talked to him when I worked out with them.”
------------------------------------
Kevin Johnson
(on his size and why he thinks people seem worried about his size)
“I don’t know, I was I guess a smaller cornerback as far as weight is
concerned, but I’m just trying to get better at everything I do. If weight is
something I need to improve on, I’m going to work to improve on it.”
Bill O’Brien
(on Kevin Johnson’s size) “And what people are worried about size? I
don’t know. I always wonder about that. You watch the tape, you watch the
guy play football on tape, and I think he’s a very competitive football player
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WR Jaelen Strong Conference Call
Friday, May 1, 2015
Day Two Press Conference
Friday, May 1, 2015
(on how it feels to be a Houston Texan) “I’m just blessed, man. You can’t be
much more thankful than I am right now. I’m just happy that they trusted in me.”
Rick Smith
(on the trades the Texans made) “As the second round began to unfold,
Benardrick (McKinney) was sitting there and it was pretty clear that he was
the highest rated guy left on the board. We felt like we needed to get aggressive. Bill (O’Brien) will talk about what we think about him as a player, but
really excited about him. It was pretty clear that he was the guy that was still
there, so we started making some calls and we were able to obviously go
up and make that trade with Cleveland. So we went up and gave up a fourth
(round pick) and a sixth (round pick). We felt like that was a little rich, so we
were able to get a seventh back, thinking that we might be able to package
that a little bit later on or get a good player in the seventh round, as well, so
we did that. In the third round, the same thing. There’s a guy sitting there that
has obvious value. So once again, just trying to be aggressive and adding
talent to the football team. I got on the phone again and actually executed
the first trade of the Mike Maccagnan era with the Jets. We took that seventh
(round pick) that we had gotten and then also a fifth rounder. Then obviously, the trade of DeVier Posey. I think it’s a good opportunity for DeVier.
For whatever reason, his career just hadn’t really materialized the way that
I think he had hoped while he was here. We had talked with him prior to the
draft and we had communicated to him that we would try to find a situation
that was a good one for him. He feels really good about it and I’m sure if you
talk to him he will articulate that to you, so we felt good and put him as a part
of that package to go up and take Jaelen (Strong). I told you last week that
I felt like our preparation was really good. We talked over the last couple of
days that everything we had done up to that point really didn’t matter, we had
to execute. So far, for two days, I think we’ve done a decent job of executing.
We’ve got a big day tomorrow. Our guys understand that, but we do think
that our football team is better by the moves that we’ve made so far.”
(on slipping out of the first round) “You know, I’m not really worried about
that. I told the Houston Texans when I was down there, no matter which round
I went in, I’m here to work, I’m here to be a competitor, and I can’t wait to get
there.”
(on what the Texans told him during his visit) “Just being ready to come in
ready to play and ready to be coached. Just very excited.”
(on playing with WR DeAndre Hopkins) “Yeah, I’m very excited. I watched
some games last year and saw what Andre Johnson did in that offense and in
the passing game last year. I’m just very excited. I can’t wait.”
(on his wrist injury) “No, my wrist is fine. The Houston Texans tested my wrist
when I was down there and they thought that everything was okay.”
(on his strengths as a receiver) “Just catching the ball, going up and getting
those 50/50 balls. I don’t think my film lies at all. I’m just really excited. I can’t
wait to get there and see what the Houston Texans have in store for me.”
(on if he has ever been to Houston) “I’ve been there that one time I just
visited.”
(on his best quality as a receiver) “Big body, catching radius, and winning
those 50/50 balls.”
(on what the Texans told him about their plans for him) “I’m not sure. They
just told me to come in ready to work and be ready to do what the coaches ask,
which I’m always ready to do.”
Bill O’Brien
(on WR Jaelen Strong and LB Benardrick McKinney) “I’ll start with (Benardrick) McKinney. Benardrick is an inside linebacker. He’s got good size,
6-4 and 250 (pounds), good length, an active player, a tough player. A guy
that can do a few different things within our defensive scheme, so we’re
very excited about having him on board. We were at Mississippi State a few
weeks ago and had a chance to sit down with their coaching staff and they
raved about him also. We worked him out, had a good work out there and
a meeting with him. Jaelen Strong is a big, outside receiver. A really good
catch radius. He’s able to go up and do a great job on 50/50 balls, contested
catches. We feel like he can run. We feel like he’s best days of football are
ahead of him. We’re really excited about having Jaelen, also. I’ll just say this
about Pose (DeVier Posey), he worked extremely hard for us. He’s a great
guy with an excellent work ethic. He’ll get a good, fresh start there in New
York and we just, as a coaching staff, we just want to tell him that we appreciate all his efforts here with us in our first year here on the job.”
(on if he got any indication the Texans would draft him) “They said they
liked me a lot. But at this point, I’m just blessed to be in this position.”
(on what he knows about Head Coach Bill O’Brien after attending high
school in Pennsylvania) “No, I never met him before. A friend of mine was
being recruited by him and he told me a lot about him, but I never met him
before until this.”
(on what his friend told him about Head Coach Bill O’Brien) “My friend told
me that he wanted to play for him. He was a great guy, shows a lot of character
and just very, very excited.”
(on if he feels any pressure after WR Andre Johnson left in the offseason)
“No, that’s what I look forward to. I look forward to stepping in big shoes like
his.”
(on if he looked up to WR Andre Johnson) “Yeah, I looked up to him. I
watched him at the U (University of Miami), too, so I’ve been a fan of him for
a while.”
Rick Smith
(on testing WR Jaelen Strong’s wrist and finding out he was fine) “We
did. We have an excellent hand surgeon here that works with us and he
cleared him and we had no issues with his wrist.”
(on what he likes the most about WR Andre Johnson’s game) “How he
plays big, goes up and gets the ball. He is very physical.”
(on WR Jaelen Strong’s confidence and ability to replace WR Andre
Johnson) “Well, I like a confident player. I think you got to have confidence
and belief in your abilities in order to go out and perform. I don’t know that
anybody here is expecting him to replace Andre Johnson. We’re revamping
our wide out position. For a number of years, if you thought wide receiver in
(on who he models his game after) “I tend to watch guys like Brandon Marshall and Larry Fitzgerald.”
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WR Keith Mumphery Conference Call
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Houston, you thought about Andre, so it’s natural I think that question arises,
but that’s not the expectation in our building. We want him to come in and
we don’t want him to be anything other than himself. If he does that and he
works hard and he understands that, I think he’s got a chance to be a good
football player.”
(on how he feels) “I’m overwhelmed right now. I’m just thankful for the
opportunity.”
Rick Smith
(on if they were surprised that WR Jaelen Strong dropped to the third
round) “Well I don’t know that he dropped, I think there was a lot of conversation about his value. I don’t know where that conversation was coming
from. I think we got him at good value, he’s a heck of a football player, so we
were excited to get him there. He obviously was the guy that was the highest
rated guy on our board at the time which was why we went and got him.”
(on if he knew the Texans wanted to draft him) “I felt like I got the most
interest from the Texans, but I didn’t know what to expect. I was just sitting
back, embracing the moment with my family.”
(on why he thought the Texans were interested in him) “Throughout the
process, I felt like they were more interested because they were the only
team that actually worked me out. That was one of the main reasons why
because they were the only team to work me out. So I’m like, there must
be something if they are the only team that wanted to work me out.”
(on if they got him where they had him graded) “It was in the area where
we had him graded, maybe a little bit down, but those projections and those
grades are, they’re subjective of course but we had to value both of those
guys, and that was one of the moves we made today is that, we were aggressive, we went and got players but we got players at good value.”
(on his workout with the Texans) “I worked out at Michigan State. The
workout was fun. It was fun to be able to compete and learn.”
Bill O’Brien
(on if he is worried about ILB Benardrick McKinney’s strength) “No, I
think with all these young players, when they come in here, they all have to
start at a certain level. One of the things with all these guys is they have to
do a really good job of getting into our weight room, into our lifting program,
adding some strength, getting into our nutrition program, eating properly, all
those different things. I don’t get concerned about that because I think all
young players, I think one of the big adjustments they all have to make when
they get to the professional level is the strength level. I know that Benardrick
will come in here and work hard to get stronger.”
(on who was at his workout with the Texans) “I think we had a linebacker and I think a safety.”
(on his strengths and weaknesses) “I’d say my strengths are I do everything with 110 percent effort. I make the guys around me better. I come to
compete every day. I think my weakness is- I just got to continue to perfect
my craft each and every day and just continue to be consistent. I think
consistency is one thing I need to work, being more consistent every day.”
(on McKinney being a good contributor on special teams) “No question. I think with his length, he’s a big guy, a big long guy that can run. The
expectation will be for him to come in here and help us on special teams and
we believe that he’ll do that.”
(on who he was with when he got the call from the Texans) “My family,
my grandma, my granddad, my dad, my mother, my auntie and uncle, my
little sisters.”
(on if Benardrick McKinney is a three down linebacker in their vision)
“In our vision, we feel like he can do some things on third down, we think he’s
a versatile player. We’re going to start off at the inside position and teach him
that position. Then as time goes on, do some things possibly with him on the
outside, but primarily he’ll be an inside linebacker. I do believe that he can
do some things on third down, but primarily he’ll be a first and second down
inside linebacker and then we’ll go from there.”
(on how he feels about joining the Texans wide receiver core) “I’m
thankful for the opportunity. I’m ready to compete, that’s it, I’m just ready to
get there and compete. I don’t care about who they drafted, I’m just ready
to get there and compete, embrace the moment.”
(on how familiar he is with WR DeAndre Hopkins) “Oh yes, I’ve
watched him a lot before.”
Rick Smith
(on if he has to adjust his strategy for tomorrow) “Well, I don’t have
much ammunition left in the barrel. We’ve got our compensatory picks that
are obviously picks that aren’t tradable, so we’ll pick good players at those
points then we’ve got our seventh round pick as well. We’ll take them as
they come.”
(on what he likes about how WR DeAndre Hopkins plays) “What I like
about how he plays? Man, he attacks the ball. He attacks the ball like no
other. That’s one thing that I really love about him, how he goes up and
gets the ball. He makes like some of the weirdest catches that you think he
won’t make.”
Bill O’Brien
(on if WR Jaelen Strong will come in and compete for a starting spot)
“Well, I think all these guys come in as backup players. It’s important for
these guys to get off on the right foot, get into the meetings, prepare for
the meetings, learn the meetings, the walkthroughs and then go out on the
practice field and try to get better every single day. As long as they do that,
they’ll all have a shot to play at some point in time. When you talk about
starters, we have so many different personnel groups on both sides of the
ball, it depends on who we’re playing, we’re a game plan on offense, game
plan defense. The expectation will be for these guys to come in and work
extremely hard, get better every day on the practice field and help us, no
question about it.” www.HoustonTexans.com
(on what he thinks he might do special teams wise) “I can play every
special teams, I can play every special teams.”
------------------------------------
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LB Reshard Cliett
DT Christian Covington
(on getting drafted by the Texans) “It was crazy, man. I saw the area code
and all the while my family started going crazy. It’s a feeling I can’t really
explain.”
(on getting the call from his local team) “You know what, that’s a dream
come true. To be able to go to a school such as Rice and to have a team
such as the Houston Texans who are just right down the street, to be interested in this way, this is a dream come true for me. I’m excited to be in
this position. I’m excited to be- I’m just so blessed right now, man. I’d like to
thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ, I’m kind of lost for words right now.
I’m just still trying to soak everything in. I’m happy to be a Texan though.”
(on if he knew the Texans were interested) “I had a good feeling they
were one of the top teams that was interested in me from the visit not too
long ago. They seemed pretty interested in me. I’m just blessed to have this
opportunity.”
(on the status of his knee injury) “My injury? I’m full go, ready to go. Yes
sir. I’m fully recovered with that. Obviously, I know when I get back to Houston, they will be reevaluating my knee but from what I’ve been doing these
past couple of weeks in the offseason I’m ready to get the ball rolling.”
(on visiting the Texans) “It was crazy. I love the city. I’ve been loving the
city of Houston. This is always the team that I wanted to play for, but it’s just
crazy that they picked me.”
(on why he wanted to play for the Texans) “Of course, they got J.J. Watt.
J.J. Watt is one of the most explosive players on defense. Then you got
Jadeveon Clowney, so I would love to play on a defense like that with Vince
WIlfork in the middle, so it’s crazy.”
(on where he is right now) “I’m back home with my family. I’m actually looking at the crowd right now, I’m back home in Vancouver right now.”
(on his decision to declare early and what he thinks of his decision
now) “It was a hard a decision for me. I was blessed to be able to have a
good career at Rice, and I was part of a couple teams who were able to do
some amazing things at Rice. The decision for me wasn’t an easy one, but
with the way that I made my recovery, with my knee, looking back on the
injury and this whole process, it was a decision I knew I wouldn’t regret. I
made it clear throughout this whole process for me that it didn’t matter if I
was going to get drafted first round or seventh round, you know this is the
opportunity of a lifetime for me and I’m going to take this opportunity and
run with it.”
(on his weight at the pro day) “At my pro day, I was at like 222 (pounds).”
(on his natural position and where he fits in) “I see myself more of a
WILL-type linebacker. But I also play many other positions, so whatever
Houston wants to play me at.”
(on playing special teams) “Special teams, I did all of my years at South
Florida. Special teams is where I get my foot into the door, so I’m ready.”
(on how the Texans have told him he will fit into their 3-4 defense)
“They told me that I could fit in right along the defensive line, really. I’m
just so excited to be able to go to an organization such as the Texans, they
pride themselves on the defensive line. I’m thrilled to be in this situation, I’m
thrilled to be able to be chosen by them and I’m thrilled to eventually come
back to Houston this upcoming weekend and see what’s in store.”
------------------------------------
(on how he feels about playing on a defensive line with J.J. Watt and
Vince Wilfork) “Oh, that’s a dream come true, oh my goodness. I’ve been
looking up to him, going to Rice, I’ve been growing up in Houston, I went to
Houston these past four years and that’s only name you hear, everywhere
you go you hear J.J. Watt. To be able to actually have a chance to be able to
be on a team with him right now, that in itself is motivation for me to be able
to come and perform with my best every day. “
(on if he attended any Texans games during his time at Rice) “I actually,
you know what, I actually never went to a Houston Texans game. I’ve never
been to a Houston Texans game, so I’m looking forward to preseason.”
(on where he has been during the offseason) “I left Houston. I started
training in Arizona. I went back to Houston for pro day, and the only other
time I’ve been able to go home is for Easter and then for draft week. I’ve
been home just these two times out of this whole offseason. I’m just happy
to finally see my family right now, to be amongst them during this whole occasion so I can’t answer anything better than that.”
(on how it feels knowing he is a pro player now just like his CFL Hall of
Fame dad) “I’m still at a loss for words with that. He was one of my motivations to be able to take football seriously in my life. He’s been my coach my
whole life, he’s been my mentor, he’s been my best friend. To have him here
by my side throughout this whole process, from high school all the way until
now, I’m proud of this whole situation and I know he’s very proud of me. I’m
23
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RB Kenny Hilliard
just at a loss for words. I know he is speechless, too.”
(on Rice Head Coach David Baliff texting him ‘welcome home’) “Yes sir,
yes sir, glad to be coming back to Houston.”
(on if he’s heard from his uncle and former LSU/New Orleans Saints RB
Dalton Hilliard) “No sir, not yet. I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls. I’m
pretty sure he’s going to be calling me pretty soon.”
(on what he thinks of Rice Coach David Baliff) “Oh man, Coach Baliff,
before you even get into the football aspect of him, the first time you meet
Coach Baliff, the only thing you have to say about him, the first impression
you get of him is what a sincere man he is. The job that he’s done with
the Rice football team, it’s been tremendous over these years and over his
tenure at Rice. He’s a great coach, he’s a great mentor, he’s a great leader
for a team that’s gone through some rough patches and now we’re up and
coming with some young guys. He’s a great leader and he’s a father figure
to a lot of the guys on the team. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had
to pleasure of being coached by.”
(on how it feels to be following in his footsteps) “It’s great. Knowing that
my uncle set that trademark for us. It’s just a blessing to be able to follow in
his footsteps and follow his legacy.”
(on how it feels to be reunited with RB Alfred Blue) “I’m excited. When I
came up just for a visit he was excited that I was coming to meet the Texans
and everybody there. He was just congratulating me and just telling me that
it’ll be nice to have us two back in the backfield like our old days at LSU.
Me and Alfred have been close ever since we were at LSU. He showed me
the way as a freshman and hopefully we have that same trait like we had at
LSU. He showed me the way, how to be a professional. “
(on Rice Coach David Baliff calling him) ”My phone is just blowing up right
now. I’m getting text messages. It’s ridiculous. I’ll be sure to give him a call
though. Oh my goodness.”
------------------------------------
(on what he has learned from his uncle about football) “He did, he told
me to just go in there and learn the system. He expressed special teams a
lot to me, and if I could get on special teams, that would be great. Just going
in there and learning from the veterans, and watch how they become professionals and I’ll be good going into the NFL.”
(on what it feels like to be drafted into the NFL) “Man, it feels great. It’s
stressful, not really knowing where you’re going to go, but the Texans saved
the best for last. I’m blessed to hear my name called and I’m just ready to
work.”
(on playing at NRG stadium last year and what he remembers from
that LSU vs. Wisconsin game) “The first game we played Wisconsin and
that was a great game. We were down coming out of halftime, and we made
some great plays and I was able to make some big runs. I remember just
having a great game in that stadium, hopefully I can bring more being a
Texan.”
(on if he remembers any particular play from the LSU vs. Wisconsin
game) “Well, yeah I think I remember the last one that sealed the deal.
I think it was about a 35-yard touchdown run, I just got it on the line of
scrimmage and then I found the crease and hit the hole and I scored. That
touchdown right there just stuck with me in that stadium.”
------------------------------------
24
@TexansPR
Post-Draft Press Conference
(on RB Kenny Hilliard) “He’s a big back. He’s a first and second down
back. He’s a tough running back. He’s a good teammate. I think the history
of success of running backs from LSU is something that’s good. I believe
that he’s a guy that, as most LSU backs, they rotate when they’re there because they all come in as high school All-Americans, so they have to learn
how to share the load. He’s willing to do that, so I think he can come in here
and help us as a first and second down back.”
Rick Smith
(on drafting DT Christian Covington despite his knee injury) “Well, we
are very comfortable from a medical perspective with the knee. Obviously,
we’re versed on the procedure that he went through and feel good about
where his rehab is. I had an opportunity to go over and work him out, so we
felt comfortable with him. He’s a young man, a very intelligent young man,
a very intense young man. He comes from good pedigree, of course. Being
here locally, we were able to watch him. We think we know what he can add
to our football team, so good pick for us, I think.”
Rick Smith
(on the importance of undrafted free agents) “It is. It’s very important.
Obviously, it’s the way that you round out the balance of your roster. That
process is going to start here pretty quickly as soon as the draft is over.
Bill (O’Brien) talked about the communication between the scouts and the
coaches and one thing I will say is I do think it’s important- one of the things
that were always looking at our process. Were always trying to figure out.
We have these debriefing meetings right after the draft and how can we
improve. Bill and I did that last year. One of the things that we decided to
do this year was to further involve the coaches on the road in evaluations.
These young men that we drafted and the other men that were talking about
as free agents. The coaches have been out and they have established relationships with some of these players. They were able to come back and
really tell us what they thought about these players. That part of the process really augmented the entire thing, specially this free agent process that
we’re about to start now. It’s important. We’ve found some players that have
contributed to our team and we’re certainly hopeful to do that again. We’re
going to do that as soon as we walk off this table.”
Bill O’Brien
(on drafting DT Christian Covington despite his knee injury) “Yeah, I
agree (with Rick Smith). Our scouts worked him out. (Defensive Line Coach)
Paul Pasqualoni worked him out. We felt good about what we saw a few
weeks ago and we think that we have a really good vision for what he could
possibly do for us, so we’re glad to have him on board.”
Rick Smith
(on how he feels about the Texans entire draft) “First of all, at first blush,
I think it was a very productive weekend. I think our guys did a great job.
I’ve talked before about the preparation and the importance of execution. I
think we did that. Today wasn’t as exciting and intense as say yesterday or
last night was because there wasn’t a whole lot of movement like it was on
Friday night, but I think we picked good, solid football players that we have
clear visions on what they can do when they walk in the door and in the
building and how they are going to compete to make our football team. From
that perspective, I think it’s due in large part to the fact that we were able
to really have some real good discussions and evaluations. We had a good
idea of what the board looked like, so from that perspective I’m pleased.”
(on LSU OT La’el Collins not getting drafted) “Just an unfortunate set of
circumstances for the young man. A tragic circumstance for the family of the
victims and certainly that’s the first thing that we think about. Our prayers
certainly go out to them. But with the uncertainty surrounding the entire situation, it was just something that we didn’t feel comfortable with.”
Bill O’Brien
(on the wide receiver group and what he hopes to see out on the field
from them) “That’s probably the best way to put it. Now we get to go out on
the field, especially with the two rookies this weekend and any college free
agent that we add, and go out there and see how they run around on the
grass. We anticipate after our studies that were going to obviously see a lot
of good things in different ways from (Jaelen) Strong and (Keith) Mumphery
and we’re excited about it. We really feel good about the guys that are here
right now. Obviously, DeAndre Hopkins we think is one of the best in the
league. I’ve said that time and time again. With the addition of Cecil Shorts
III and Nate Washington, we really think we’ve solidified that position and
we’re looking forward to working with those guys starting this week on Monday. It’s still a work in progress, but we feel good at this stage about where
that position is at.”
Bill O’Brien
(on how he feels about the draft overall) “We feel good. I think that this
year we really did a good job of communicating with the scouts and viceversa, as far as what the vision was for each one of these players that we
drafted. We feel really good about each guy coming in here and having an
opportunity to really help our team in some way, shape, or form.”
(on how he plans to use DT Christian Covington and LB Reshard Cliett)
“(Christian) Covington, I think, can fill some different roles for us. One of the
roles that I believe we’ll give him an opportunity to fill for us would be as a
sub-rusher on third down. We know that for sure. We’re going to give him
an opportunity to come in here and try to help us rush the passer in OTAs
and then obviously in training camp and see what he can do there. As far
as Reshard (Cliett) is concerned, we really like the fact that he ran well, he’s
a smart guy. When he came here to meet with our scouting staff and our
coaching staff, we were very impressed with his football knowledge, his recollection of his own defensive scheme from college and then his recollection
of some of the things we taught him. We saw a very athletic guy that could
be used as a potential sub-linebacker and was a smart guy.”
(on if LB Reshard Cliett will be a good special teams player) “He should
be. You know, he should be a good space tackler, which you have to be on
special teams. He should be a guy that can be a core special teams player.
Again, he’s got to go out there and do it, just like every rookie. But we believe, that’s why we drafted him, that he can come in here and help us on
special teams.”
Rick Smith
(on improving the kick return game with undrafted guys) “Yeah, I think
anybody who has that ability will come in and have a chance to compete to
do that.”
(on how much better the Texans could be on special teams coverage)
“Well, it needs to be better. We have to be better on special teams. That’s
one of the things as a coaching staff we really looked at and I think Rick
(Smith) put it well when he answered that previous question about some of
these guys. All of these guys we had clear visions for. Some of the visions
were involving special teams, so we certainly think that these guys can help
us, some of these guys can help us on special teams.”
------------------------------------
25
@TexansPR

Houston Texans Media Website

Transcription

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