In his latest Read Option piece, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report makes the case that Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack represents the best choice for the Texans with the first overall pick. For his part, Mack would love to come off the board first, but recognizes that it’s not necessarily the most important thing.
“I don’t think it matters if I go first,” Mack said. “I feel like I’ve worked hard and shown I can be a great player and teammate. If every team knew everything I was about, I feel they would draft me. But what matters is what happens after you are picked.”
Here’s more from Pompei:
- The Texans want to add more picks, and have long been rumored to be exploring trades involving the first overall pick. However, Pompei suggests the team may end up trading its first pick in the second round, rather than the first — Houston has actively been shopping that 33rd overall pick, according to Pompei’s sources.
- The Chiefs are believed to be willing to discuss trades involving cornerback Brandon Flowers in an effort to land more draft picks, says Pompei. We’ll have to wait to see how serious Kansas City is about that possibility, but if the team looks to find a deal, I wonder if the Jets might be a match — New York has a need at cornerback, plenty of 2014 draft picks (12), and more than enough cap space to take on Flowers’ $5.25MM base salary.
- While some quarterback-needy teams say the Buccaneers haven’t called them to shop Mike Glennon, that might change after the draft, according to Pompei, who writes that coach Lovie Smith and GM Jason Licht are expected to “stir up the quarterback position.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com agrees that Glennon will be shopped if the Bucs draft a signal-caller, though he says that Tampa Bay won’t just give Glennon away, adding that the asking price could be a second-round pick (all Twitter links).