Houston Texans' head coach Bill O'Brien praised this year's draft class as being very deep at the quarterback position. While players like Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles are getting all of the attention, there is plenty of talent waiting to be taken in the third round. Could that mean the Texans are willing to give up the No. 1 overall draft pick for more selections?
According to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report, the Texans are aiming to move down in the draft in order to gain more picks. Pompei notes the Buffalo Bills have emerged as a potential trade partner as the team is looking to possibly draft first overall. Pompei writes, "It is unclear who the Bills would want in a trade-up scenario. Some believe they would move up for a quarterback. They also could make good use of an offensive tackle such as Greg Robinson. And it would be something to see them pair Mario Williams with either Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack."
Right now, the Bills are drafting No. 9 overall. Manziel and Bortles will be gone, as well Clowney and Mack. Robinson could also be taken by then, leaving the Bills in an odd situation if they want any of those players. The situation also shows that head coach Doug Marrone might not have all the confidence in the world in EJ Manuel, like he has publicly insisted.
Most teams looking to trade for the No. 1 overall pick want a quarterback. If the Bills wanted someone like Clowney or Robinson, they might only have to get into the top 3, but for a player like Manziel, the No. 1 pick is likely what it is gong to take. Could Manziel replace Manuel? The rookie certainly had his struggles last season and after undergoing several procedures on his knee, are the Bills re-thinking their "all-in" attitude on the quarterback?
Houston aiming to trade down certainly shows that O'Brien might not be completely sold on drafting Manziel or Bortles as the future of the franchise. The head coach certainly knows what he is talking about when it comes to quarterbacks. Could he be aiming to draft someone like Zach Mettenberger or Derek Carr instead?
These rumors will run wild until May. Having the No. 1 pick means the Texans could go any direction and a trade down is certainly an option. Everything is mere speculation at this point, so time will tell what Houston actually does with the pick.