Tennessee's Jonathan Crompton, expected to go off the board in the later rounds of the 2010 draft, could be an intriguing developmental player in the NFL.
EDITOR'S NOTE: *The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Texans organization. The article is part of our 2010 Path to the Draft coverage presented by FOX Sports Houston.
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With Matt Schaub coming off of a Pro Bowl season, quarterback won't be a priority for the Texans in next weekend's draft.
But even though the Texans already have Dan Orlovsky and John David Booty behind Schaub and have needs to fill at other positions, it wouldn't be unprecedented for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak to draft a developmental quarterback in the later rounds.
In 2008, the Texans drafted Washington State quarterback Alex Brink in the seventh round, 223rd overall. At the time – as is the case this year – quarterback was not a need position. The Texans had acquired Schaub via trade one year earlier and had the capable Sage Rosenfels in place as his backup.
Now, Schaub is heading into his fourth year as the Texans' starting quarterback. He started 16 games for the first time last season, led the league in passing yards and was named Pro Bowl MVP. Orlovsky, 26, was a priority free agent signing last offseason, and Booty, 25, was signed as a street free agent in January.
Brink is the only quarterback the Texans have drafted under Kubiak and Smith. It will be interesting to see whether they decide to pick up a second signal-caller with one of the team's eight draft picks in 2010.
Analysis from the National Football Post
In an exclusive for HoustonTexans.com, Wes Bunting and Joe Fortenbaugh of of the **National Football Post** examine the quarterback group as it relates to the Texans and the 2010 draft.
Synopsis:
The Texans are in very good shape at the quarterback position entering 2010. Pro Bowler Matt Schaub is running the show and is coming off the first season of his six-year career in which he started all 16 games.
The key number here is 8.1. That's the yards per attempt Houston averaged in the passing game in 2009, good for fifth in the NFL. The Texans are a vertical passing team that loves to take shots down the field. A quarterback in this type of system has to be accurate and must have a strong arm.
Here are four developmental projects that the Texans could consider to upgrade their roster during this year's draft:
1. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss: The 6-3, 219-pounder turned some heads when he chose to declare for the draft rather than return to Mississippi for his senior season. Snead's got a big-time arm and is capable of making all the throws at the next level. However, he isn't real accurate (54.4% in 2009) and needs to improve his footwork in the pocket. Snead is a true developmental project and will need a quarterback coach who can help him regain the confidence he lost during Ole Miss' 9-4 season. He's got the physical skill set, but needs time and coaching to turn into a more complete quarterback.
2. Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee: Crompton is a big, good-looking quarterback prospect (6-4, 228) who possesses a strong arm and can really spin the ball downfield. He also showcases good accuracy (58.3% in 2009) on all areas of the field when he can get the ball out on time. But he struggles with his accuracy when he's uncomfortable in the pocket and forced to improvise. He displays good balance and footwork in his drop and does a nice job getting his feet around and striding into throws. He looks natural working off play fakes and does a nice job making his high/low reads and being decisive with the ball.
3. Chris Turner, Maryland: Turner is a tall, well-built quarterback (6-4, 220) who displays a high delivery point and above-average arm strength. He does a nice job remaining balanced in the pocket and consistently strides into throws. He doesn't possess a great arm, but has the ability to make all the throws at the next level (59.6% completion percentage in three years at Maryland). Turner showcases good toughness and isn't afraid to stare down the barrel off the shotgun and hang in the pocket, but he needs to speed up his decision-making. He completes a high percentage of his first-read passes but struggles to consistently go through his progressions. He has a tendency to get caught scanning one side of the field and does a nice job of occasionally looking off defenders, but consistently comes back to his original side.
4. Jarrett Brown, West Virginia: A physically gifted quarterback (6-3, 222), Brown has the athleticism to buy time in the pocket and make plays with his feet (4.54 40-yard dash at Combine). Creating big plays when things break down, he does a nice job keeping his eyes down the field. He's a dual run/pass threat once he gets on the perimeter and looks very comfortable when asked to improvise. He possesses a strong arm, but his accuracy can be erratic at times. Brown doesn't have the most compact of throwing motions and his passes underneath tend to nose dive on him and fall at the receiver's feet.
For more from the National Football Post, follow ****@JoeFortenbaugh*** and ***@WesBunting*** on Twitter*
