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A day after they took Miami (Ohio) guard Brandon Brooks in the third round, the Houston Texans followed up with an odd offensive line choice.

Georgia center Ben Jones is a good player, but he’s very much a center. And Houston just re-signed veteran Chris Myers to man the spot.

Perhaps Jones is a backup center who can be tried at guard.

But the Texans lost their right guard (Mike Brisiel as a free agent to Oakland) and right tackle Eric Winston (as a salary cap cut).

Center certainly didn’t appear to be a spot they needed to address.

It's finally here. Join our ESPN.com NFL experts as they break down the 2012 NFL draft, round-by-round. We'll have input from blog nation, Scouts Inc., Stats & Information and fantasy perspectives.

Thursday night we'll kick off Round 1 at 7 p.m. ET. For Friday night's Rounds 2 and 3, we'll be here at 6:30 p.m. ET. And we'll be back Saturday morning at noon ET to finish things off.

Contribute your thoughts and questions on all things NFL draft below. We'll see you there.

Indianapolis used its third round pick, 64th, on Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen, a guy who’s more of a blocker than Coby Fleener, their second-round pick.

“The offense calls for two tight ends who are dynamic and can do different things,” said Allen, sharing what he learned in a phone conversation with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

On back-to-back tight ends, GM Ryan Grigson said: “It’s nice when your board lines up with your needs. It worked out real well. We secured two great football players that were just staring us right in the face.”

The Colts traded to get a another third-round pick, 92nd overall, giving No. 97 in the fourth round and a fifth next year. They used the pick on Florida International receiver and returner T.Y. Hilton.

I’ve seen some impressive highlights that show a smooth, incredibly fast player.

“Teams got to be ready for me because I’m a blazer,” he told us on a conference call. “…Me and (Andrew) Luck are going to do just fine.”

The Colts have added three skill guys for Luck. I may have said it before, but I really mean it now: It’s now time to get to work on the defense.

Nose tackle Mike Martin should pressure veteran Shaun Smith for playing time, and could ultimately push Smith off the roster. Tennessee nabbed Martin in the third round, 82nd overall.

“Mike Martin is what you want in a nose tackle,” general manager Ruston Webster told Nashville media. “He is tough as nails. He is a grinder. He doesn’t mind doing the dirty work and brings the kind of mentality that we want on our defense.”

Like Karl Klug, a successful pass rushing DT from last year’s draft, Martin has wrestled and said it helps him operate in close quarters.

“I’m a guy that the whistle is going to have to be blown three or four times for me to stop on the play,” Martin said. “I think that (Ndamukong) Suh plays that way, he’s got a heck of a motor and I just want to be that guy who can prove that he has that motor in the NFL. I feel like that is what I relied on in college. When guys would quit on a play or just decided not to finish, I was going to finish and I was going to make a play because of that.”

I was (too) hard on Zach Brown, the second-round linebacker. I like the sound of Martin.

Still, the Titans are due for a defensive end.

Thoughts on the Houston Texans' second day...

DeVier Posey, the Ohio State receiver taken 68th in the third round, is a value at that spot, the team believes. He was part of the Buckeyes crew suspended for selling memorabilia and receiving improper benefits, and the missed time as a senior lessened his profile and value on draft boards.

“We thought we had a talent that was comparable to some of the guys that were taken a lot earlier,” offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said. “At that point, we thought it was a good choice for us.”

“… He runs great routes and has good ball skills. He’s very precise in everything and works hard. He works in the run game. He’s a good-sized guy. He fits with the rest of our guys. We’re trying to supplement our wide receiver group and we think he does a good job with that.”

The Texans traded out of the second round (58th overall). The Giants drafted LSU receiver Rueben Randle 63rd between where the Texans would have picked and did pick.

Offensive lineman Brandon Brooks was the pick at No. 76, the selection the Texans got from Philadelphia in the DeMeco Ryans deal.

At nearly 6-foot-5 and 353 pounds, he’s big for Houston.

“I’ve never coached a guy at that size, but we feel that he can do what we do,” Dennison said. “He moves around well. The East-West Shrine Game is where I first noticed him and he functioned and did very good for a guy that size. If you look at him, he doesn’t look like he weighs that much. Most of his weight is in his lower body. He can still run under a five-flat 40, which is what we ask our guys to do. We really don’t have, at least to my knowledge, we don’t tell everyone you have to be under 300.

Dennison said Brooks would work as a guard to start off.

Indications are he is strong, versatile -- he’s been projected as best in a man-blocking scheme, but has experience in the sort of zone system the Texans employ -- and football smart.

“I had three different offensive coordinators, so you name it, I ran it,” Brooks said. “I ran zone, inside, outside; I ran power, isos, draws, everything.”

With first-round outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, Posey and Brooks, the Texans have addressed their three biggest needs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been accused (occasionally by me) of not doing well enough in assessing how the rest of the league's teams value some players the Jags draft.

Some personnel people around the league say the Jaguars simply don’t care about that. In a way, I admire them for it. Don’t be overly concerned and influenced by the forces around you, by the competition. Do your own thing. Bank on your convictions.

But when it comes to taking Cal punter Bryan Anger in the third round, the Jaguars absolutely should care about league context.

I know at least one other team had him rated as a fifth-rounder.

Anger is the first punter to go in the top 100 picks since 1995, when Todd Sauerbrun went in the second round to Chicago, 56th overall.

There is a reason for that.

It’s important that you don’t punt terribly. But it’s not so important that you punt fantastically, certainly not important enough that you sacrifice the chance to improve at a position that could be on the field for three downs a game.

“I think it will be evident when you get a chance to see him punt: He’s got a strong history which I feel will transfer to this level in helping us defensively with the yardage we can gain in field position,” general manager Gene Smith said.

“… He’s the player in that round at your pick that you feel can upgrade your football team. I think that’s an easy decision for me, to get a starter in the third round.”

Calling a punter a starter is beyond a stretch.

The Jaguars' defense played 970 plays in 2011. The Jaguars' offense played 958 plays. The Jaguars punted 99 times.

“I think it’s first downs that you gain,” Smith said in a further defense of the pick. “And I feel like in the third round it’s not a round that you always get proven starters.”

Really?

In Smith’s three previous drafts, he picked four times in the third round. Guard Will Rackley, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and cornerback Derek Cox are starters. The only nonstarter, defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith, has missed his first two seasons with injuries.

The Jaguars averaged 41.9 yards per punt last season, 31st in the NFL. They averaged 36.5 net yards per punt, 28th in the NFL. Those numbers were, in part, a testament to the team’s foolish conclusion that greybeard Matt Turk was the man to replace Adam Podlesh, who left for Chicago as a free agent.

The Jaguars cut Turk after five games, going with Nick Harris the rest of the way. Harris was 3 yards (and 5.1 net yards) better per punt than Turk had been.

A longer punt is easier to cover, so this is too simple.

Nevertheless, here is my counterproposal to drafting Anger 70th:

Jacksonville uses an average punter and boosts its net average to what was the midpoint for 2011. By my calculations, that would give the Jaguars an extra 15.5 net yards a game. Then use the 70th pick on an offensive lineman who, as part of a better scheme, could help cut the Jaguars’ sack yardage in half. That would give the team an extra 10.3 yards a game, and also help young quarterback Blaine Gabbert not worry so much about getting crunched.

The overall gain from my plan -- not just estimating the average that will come with a big leg, but actually factoring in context -- would be better.

The goal is not to punt, and you drafted a punter. That was the first thing a reporter in Jacksonville said to coach Mike Mularkey after the pick.

“And hold, hold for extra points,” Mularkey said. “If you want to write about him, he’s a really good holder for extra points and field goals, and he just so happens to be a difference-maker when it comes to punting.”

Oh, he holds, too? Well, that changes everything.

No, actually, any guy on offense with good hands, starting with your backup quarterback, should be able to function as a holder.

Maybe Anger is the league’s best punter and holder for 15 years.

Even if he is, it says here there will be at least three dozen players among the picks after Anger who have more impactful careers than he will. And that’s a modest 20 percent of the 183 guys we’re talking about. If the Jaguars missed on him by two rounds, maybe it’s 64 players. It could be more.

Are the Jaguars, coming off a 5-11 season, good enough that they can pass on such potential people? They are not. Perhaps they are expecting Gabbert to be terrible again, knowing they’ll be punting a ton and being proactive?

They need more guys who can score touchdowns or stop touchdowns. Get more guys who can get you first downs and you’ll punt less, kicking more field goals and scoring more touchdowns. Get more guys who can stop a third-down run or break up a third-down pass and you’ll be fielding punts, not covering them.

Do those things, and getting a few additional yards when you have to kick the ball away doesn’t mean so much.

Know where you have a chance to add guys who fit that bill?

With the third-round pick you just used on a punter.

Too often the Jaguars are a punching bag or a punch line.

This time, they deserve it.

I’m eager to hear the Titans talk about North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown, whom they just picked at No. 52.

The outside reviews are not very good. Over in our chat, Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said Brown is a track star with no football acumen.

The Titans have emphasized getting bigger and are trying to improve their pass rush. It would appear Brown does neither, as he’s just over 6-foot-1 and around 244 pounds and his speed seems to lend itself more to coverage work than pass rushing.

Even if the Titans envision him in that role going forward, they’ve long been a team that likes to talk about rushing linebackers but rarely follows through. Is he going to knock veteran Will Witherspoon from the weakside spot? Or succeed him next year?

Draft analyst Mike Detillier likes Brown -- rating him second at outside linebacker behind only Courtney Upshaw and putting him as a late first- or early second-round guy. Pro Football Weekly put Brown in the top 50. Mel Kiper said he was a second- or third-round player who would create split opinions and cited instinct concerns.

Detillier wrote that Brown's acceleration upfield is "unmatched my any other linebacker," that he has "rare closing speed to the ballcarrier" and that he has "first-rate flow skills laterally and eats up a lot of ground."

While Brown could be a tease, Detillier also said that with hard work, Brown can show he "has the skills to be a special player."

Still, like a lot of people, I'm thinking Tennessee could have done better in the spot.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Stanford’s academic quarter doesn’t end until June 7.

NFL rules say college players can’t bolt school to join their NFL team after they are drafted until their school is finished. So while Andrew Luck will return to Indianapolis for a rookie minicamp Friday, Saturday and Sunday, he will then disappear until June 8.

“The rule was made for a reason -- encouraging guys to finish up and stay in school,” Luck said during his introduction at Lucas Oil Stadium Friday evening. “Obviously in that situation I wish I could be out here starting with the guys tomorrow working out. But that’s the rule, I’m not going to complain about it.

"It’s the cards we were dealt, so put your best foot forward. I know it’s terribly cliché. But you’re going to find ways, within the rules, for learning your playbook, maybe to try to get together with the guys somehow outside the facility. It’ll be a bump in the road but it’ll have to be overcome.”

Colts owner Jim Irsay said he would facilitate any creative get-togethers for Luck and his receivers with his plane or however possible.

Luck knew that Peyton Manning had traveled to Columbus to work with Anthony Gonzalez when the first-round receiver faced similar restraints.

“We’ll try to be very creative,” Luck said. “I got a couple texts from Reggie (Wayne) about trying to organize some things.”

Tight end Coby Fleener, the Colts' second-round pick, is a classmate and close friend of Luck’s. He said the two could work out together as soon as Saturday if Fleener makes it back to campus in time.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars can boost quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s play to roughly average, I think they’ll be significantly better in Mike Mularkey’s first year as coach.

I’m tempted to call their draft a success after just two picks: Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, selected fifth after a trade up, and Clemson defensive end Andre Branch, whom they just took 38th overall.

Says Scouts Inc.:

Pros: Quick first step. Consistently gains advantage with initial burst when he times snap correctly. Plays under control. Shows good leverage out of stance. Shows the ability to shave the edge with almost no wasted steps. Has experience playing left side and right side -- both with hand in dirt and in two-point stance. Shows good awareness as a pass-rusher. Realizes when he's not getting pressure on the QB and affects passing windows by getting hands up.

Cons: Quickly gains momentum, knows how to turn speed-to-power, but lacks functional lower-body strength to walk most OTs back into QB. Recognition skills are inconsistent, though. Takes the bait too often. Also will be late finding the football in the run game. Snap awareness is a bit inconsistent. Flashes an effective club move but needs to use it more and needs to develop better array of counters.

I’d like to see the Jaguars draft another defensive end somewhere soon.

If defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who calls his guys rushmen, can coach Branch up and get first-year pass-rush impact from him and/or another selection, the Jaguars stand a chance to be one of the league’s best defenses if they remain healthy.

INDIANAPOLIS -- At an appearance at Lucas Oil Stadium this evening, Andrew Luck said people smarter than him would be deciding on whether Coby Fleener was the guy for the Colts at No. 34.

Those people, led by general manager Ryan Grigson, decided Luck’s Stanford teammate was, in fact, the right guy.

Fleener is the team’s second-round pick, and will be a prime target for Luck just as he was in college.

The Colts have a couple dependable receivers in Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie. Beyond that, they’ve got a reclamation project in Donnie Avery and a tight end who’s more a blocker than a receiver in Brody Eldridge.

Fleener is a giant get and fits perfectly with the idea of surrounding Luck with weapons who will maximize his chances at success.

I wasn’t alone in being surprised he made it out of the first round.

Now I expect the Colts will start to look for defenders as they have major holes at cornerback, defensive tackle and linebacker.

Notes from the fine folks at ESPN Stats & Info on the four newest members of the AFC South…

Quarterback Andrew Luck of the Colts

• A QB has been selected with the first overall pick 12 times in the last 15 drafts (1998-2012).
• The Colts have drafted an offensive player with five of their last six first-round picks.
• Luck is the fourth Stanford QB to be picked 1st overall in the history of the NFL draft, joining John Elway (1983), Jim Plunkett (1971) and Bobby Garrett (1954). Stanford is the first school to have four quarterbacks drafted first overall and the first school to have four No. 1 picks at any single position.
• The Colts had the lowest Total QBR (11.9) inside of the red zone of any team in 2011. Luck has excelled in the red zone throughout his career, throwing 52 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 183 pass attempts. Since the start of 2010, no player in FBS had a higher touchdown to interception differential than Luck’s +45.

Wide receiver Justin Blackmon of the Jaguars

• Blackmon ranked third in FBS in receptions last season, fourth in receiving yards and second in receiving touchdowns.
• Blackmon replaced Dez Bryant in 2010 and caught 111 passes for 1,782 yards -- breaking Larry Fitzgerald's FBS record for sophomores -- and 20 TD
• He set an NCAA record with at least 100 yards and one touchdown in all 12 games in a season
• The Jaguars seek a first-round home run at receiver for the first time. Matt Jones (2005), Reggie Williams (2004) and R. Jay Soward (2000) were busts.

Wide receiver Kendall Wright of the Titans

• Wright is the fourth time the Titans-Oilers franchise has drafted a receiver in the first round and first since Kenny Britt in 2009.
• Wright and No. 2 pick Robert Griffin III were one of two QB-WR combinations selected in the first round. Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon were also first-rounders. Only three times before in the common draft era have a quarterback and receiver from the same school.
• Want big plays? Wright was targeted on throw of 20 yards or more. He caught 14 of them, producing eight touchdowns and 14 plays of 30 yards or more.

Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus of the Texans

• Mercilus led the FBS with 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles, and had 22.5 tackles for a loss.
• Texans first round picks in their rookie season under Gary Kubiak have started 94 of a possible 96 games. Mercilus could break that trend, as he should be the team’s third outside linebacker in their base personnel, coming in to offer some relief to Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed and as part of a nickel package.

What I'd like to see happen tonight as the second and third rounds of the NFL draft unfold...

Houston Texans

I’d love to see Rueben Randle at No. 58 if the LSU receiver is still on the board. An offensive lineman or a receiver is the need at this point, and it would be big if the Texans came out of the evening with at least one from their two picks. They also have pick No. 76 in the third round.

Indianapolis Colts

Stanford tight end Coby Fleener seems too good to be true at No. 34, the second pick of the second round. The Rams need a receiver and missed out on Justin Blackmon. But someone in love with Fleener could come to their spot. If the Colts have a weapon for Andrew Luck they prefer, that would work, too. Can they bear to hold off until pick 64 in the third for defensive help?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Todd McShay is a big proponent of Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry, and that would be an interesting pick. Really, if the Jaguars can land a pass rusher they like who will produce with the sixth pick tonight, 38th overall, we can call this draft a success and the rest is gravy. I also think they should consider what I am about to suggest for the Titans below: pursuit of Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Tennessee Titans

I understand the trend is to devalue veterans from elsewhere and the appeal is inexpensive rookie contracts. But the Titans should ask the Giants if they’d take a fourth, No. 115, for Umenyiora. Craft a good contract offer for the 30-year-old defensive end who’s got one year left on his deal worth $3.975 million and if he likes it, do it. There is no way a fourth-round pick will be better than Umenyiora for Tennessee. The Titans’ last 10 fourth rounders: Colin McCarthy, Jamie Harper, Alterraun Verner, Gerald McRath, Troy Kropog, William Hayes, Lavelle Hawkins, Stanford Keglar, Leroy Harris and Chris Davis. Which one wouldn’t you trade for Umenyiora? I’d consider upping it to the third rounder if that’s what it takes. The Giants don’t have to deal him, of course. But the Titans should be exploring the possibility.

It’s very likely that after the second round is over Friday night, we’ll say the same thing about three teams in the AFC South: That they’ve added a receiver and a pass-rusher.

Jacksonville grabbed Justin Blackmon and with the sixth pick tonight, 38th overall, it will eye a pass-rusher.

Tennessee pounced on Kendall Wright and with the 20th pick tonight, 52nd overall, it will eye a pass-rusher.

Houston snatched Whitney Mercilus and with the 26th pick tonight, 58th overall, it will eye a receiver.

Even if things don’t unfold that way, all three of the teams will wind up addressing both receiver and pass-rusher in this draft. The Colts, too, will add in both areas.

Sensing a theme?

Three of these four franchises are run-based teams. Maurice Jones-Drew, Arian Foster and Chris Johnson are top-flight backs, though Johnson has some bouncing back to do. Chuck Pagano is talking of the need for Indianapolis to run effectively, too.

But run-based is going the way of the dodo bird. No matter you’re pre-draft roster, no matter the philosophy in your DNA, no matter the path that’s given you some success, you must acknowledge it’s a passing league.

Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees are taking their teams deep into the playoffs and winning Super Bowls by throwing it, not by handing it off. Even if your quarterback is not of that stature, you need to mirror that approach.

You need the guy to throw it, and all the teams of the AFC South now feel they have that guy.

You need guys for him to throw it to. Enter Blackmon and Wright and maybe tight end Coby Fleener for the Colts with the second pick of the second round tonight.

You need guys to harass the guy throwing it for the other team. Enter Mercilus and another influx of rushers I expect tonight.

It’s more than a coincidence that the road into the AFC South is bringing in receivers and rushers.

You need to visit ESPN’s DraftTracker, which has a thorough written and video review of Round 1, and the list of the picks to come.

Here’s a sampling:

Andrew Luck, Colts quarterback:

“How he fits: This appears to be a perfect fit of a quarterback's skill set with the Colts' new offensive philosophy. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will run a Pittsburgh-style scheme with a lot of bunch formations and movement and some no-huddle. Luck will have a lot of freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage. They want to be a much more run-oriented offense which could set up good play action, which is Luck's strength. This is a perfect offense for him, it's just a shame he won't have a better supporting cast in the beginning.”

Justin Blackmon, Jaguars receiver:

“How he fits: This was the worst pass offense in the NFL a year ago. Of course, part of the problem was QB Blaine Gabbert, however, it has been the worst receiving corps in the NFL for the past few years. The Jaguars did sign free agent Laurent Robinson from Dallas and Mike Thomas has a chance to be OK, but now they have a difference-maker and a guy who can stretch the field. All of a sudden, this pathetic passing game now has a three-wide receiver set and a nickel package that can actually threaten some defenses. This has been a short, conservative passing game in the past because they had no choice. Now, they can air it out with Blackmon or they can let him take those short to intermediate passes where he can run after the catch.”

Kendall Wright, Titans receiver:

“How he fits: This position has a chance to really improve if the Titans hit on Wright. Kenny Britt is an explosive playmaker, but he's coming off an knee injury that kept him out of the lineup in 2011, and Nate Washington is coming off a career year, but can he repeat it? If both guys play up to form in 2012, Wright could be the perfect slot receiver inside to take advantage of his quickness, and that would give the Titans a really good three-wide receiver package. Although, this offense was very vanilla in 2011, with a more complete passing game, they could really open things up. You could see Wright really flourish with yards after the catch inside.”

Whitney Mercilus, Texans outside linebacker:

“How he fits: He makes an already productive defensive front even better. Even though the Texans lost their best defensive player in Mario Williams in free agency, they got unexpected production from OLBs Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed. In this 3-4 defense that loves to attack and blitz from all directions with a lot of slants and one-gap penetrating schemes, Mercilus fits nicely as a rotation edge rusher in the 3-4 and possibly a guy who can play DE in 3-4 subpackages.”

Houston Texans



Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle: “No, the projected three-man outside linebacker crew isn’t better with Connor Barwin, Brooks Reed and (Whitney) Mercilus than it was going into last season with (Mario) Williams, (Connor) Barwin and (Brooks) Reed. Mercilus, a 21-year-old from Akron, whose parents are from Haiti, is no Mario Williams. But he might not have to be for the Texans’ defense to again be among the best in the league.”

Indianapolis Colts



Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star: Now that the Colts are off the clock, at least for now, (Andrew) Luck is on it. And cue the expectations. They always come with a top selection, whether he's Troy Aikman, Steve Bartkowski or John Elway. Some of the No. 1 overall quarterbacks have panned out beautifully: The aforementioned Aikman and Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, all Super Bowl winners. Some have been good: Drew Bledsoe, Carson Palmer, Vinny Testaverde. A few have been busts, like Tim Couch, David Carr and Jamarcus Russell. Take this to the bank: Luck will end up being remembered with that first group.”

Jacksonville Jaguars



Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union: “Sacrificing a fourth-round pick, plus the Jaguars' No. 7 overall choice, seems like a reasonable price to pay for a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff award, given to college football's top receiver. It's hard to imagine there'll be a whole lot of second-guessing from Jaguars fans that have been screaming for receiver help since Jimmy Smith left after the 2005 season." This is a nice situation, where what the fan base craved lined up with what Smith did, and that will buy the team some good faith for sure.

Tennessee Titans



David Climer of The Tennessean on Kendall Wright: “In the NFL of 2012, you can never have enough receivers. The name of the game is outscoring the opponent, not shutting him down. So quibble about the identity of the Titans’ first-round pick if you want. But don’t criticize the position they prioritized. I for one applaud that the Titans have switched gears and gotten with the program." He’s on point. These are not Jeff Fisher’s Titans.