2011 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 11

Our annual 2011 NFL Mock Draft, with picks made by each of SB Nation’s NFL team bloggers, is in full swing. The latest pick in to the podium: the Houston Texans, at No. 11 overall.

Tim McHale of BattleRedBlog.com explains the choice, and our own Dan Kadar reacts to it, after the jump. Make sure you’re grading this pick for the Texans, and checking out Battle Red Blog for all of your Texans needs.

Tim McHale explains: Wait a second, you say. Isn’t the Houston defense terrible. Like, historically terrible? Indeed it is. We had every intention of drafting a defensive player with the eleventh overall pick of the 2011 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft. Really, we did. Unfortunately, the teams ahead of us refused to cooperate by letting any of the DBs, DTs, or OLBs we covet drop to us.

Thus, without the possibility of trading back in this mock draft, the fake Texans braintrust opted to go with the much-ballyhooed and all-too-rarely utilized- at least by your Texans - method of selecting the best player available in the first round. While the Houston passing game doesn’t necessarily need Julio Jones lining up at wide receiver, the thought of Julio Jones and Andre Johnson on the field at the same time should be enough to give Texans fans the vapors and opposing defenses night terrors. We can’t help ourselves. Jones is the type of special talent that demands you make exceptions to draft strategy, even if the draft strategy is as simple as “DRAFT DEFENSIVE PLAYERS BECAUSE THE ONES YOU HAVE ARE VERY BAD AT STOPPING NFL OFFENSES.”

Of course, come April 28th, the Texans may well be more likely to take Cameron Jordan, J.J. Watt, Amobi Okoye or Aldon Smith if they stay at 11. Admittedly, with all the holes in their defense, the Texans would surely get KILLED by pundits and fans alike for taking an offensive player with the 11th overall pick. We happen to think Jones is worth suffering those slings and arrows. Julio now. Defense later. We promise.

Dan Kadar reacts: It’s clear that if the Texans want to address their poor secondary, that will have to be done later in the draft, so that’s out of the question with the 11th pick. Wade Phillips’ new 3-4 system also calls for explosive pass rushers at outside linebacker. With Aldon Smith still on the board – and the fact that he’s been open about wanting to play in a 3-4 – I’d suspect that is the more plausible selection.

To snag Jones here, though, is a coup. He’s pretty similar in style to Johnson but could also work the inside part of the field really well. If Houston’s tight ends continue their history of getting injured, Jones would be an excellent open working the underneath area while Johnson streaks down field. This isn’t a bad pick by any means, but Smith just might be a better one. [Julio Jones Scouting Report]