The SB Nation two-round NFL mock draft continues along with each lead NFL team blogger making the pick for their team. Up now is the Houston Texans with the 26th pick.
2012 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 26
With the 26th pick in the 2012 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, the Houston Texans select Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe.
Tim from Battle Red Blog checks in for the second pick of the day. He explains the choice and I respond after the jump. For the latest on the Texans, makes sure to check out his site BattleRedBlog.com.
Tim explains: Lost in the Texans’ defensive improvement last season was that the defense was still weak up the middle against the run, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who has ever seen Shaun Cody or Earl Mitchell play. Enter Dontari Poe. While Wade Phillips does not normally use a NT with 2-gap size, he’s done so when the talent was available (Ted Washington, Jamal Williams). Poe would give him that talent, but with the added bonus of having the speed and agility to play the 1-gap style that Wade prefers, especially on passing downs. There was some discussion that perhaps the Texans should look at Whitney Mercilus or Nick Perry due to the departure of Mario Williams, and there were some concerns about Poe’s possibly being a Combine warrior. In the end, however, we simply couldn’t pass up improving the NT position with the unreal combination of speed, size, and strength that Poe brings to the table.
Dan Kadar responds: A few months ago, Poe was a popular choice for the Texans but it’s tailed off some. At this point, many expect Poe will be gone before this pick. So to get him at this point should be considered a steal. Poe is more than just a pure nose tackle, so don’t be fooled by just his size. He can shoot gaps better than most think but has the power to hold the line against the run.
Mocking the Draft's Top 5 Remaining Prospects
| OVR | Name | Pos. | College | Report |
| 12 | Devon Still | DT | Penn State | prospect notes |
| 19 | Peter Konz | C | Wisconsin | scouting report |
| 22 | Zach Brown | OLB | North Carolina | prospect notes |
| 23 | Brandon Thompson | DT | Clemson | scouting report |
| 24 | Andre Branch | DE | Clemson | scouting report |
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