Texas Two Step

Coaches around the NFL have continuously been saying that their draft class should not be graded until two or three years after the draft.

So with the 2010 draft behind us, let's look back and grade the 2007 drafts of the Texans and Cowboys.

In 2007 the Texans draft board looked like this:

First round: Amobi Okoye

Third round: Jacoby Jones

Fourth round: Fred Bennett

Fifth round: Brandon Harrison

Fifth round: Brandon Frye

Sixth round: Kasey Studdard

Seventh round: Zac Diles

The best: Zac Diles has proved that the later rounds of the draft are just as important as the first round. Diles broke into the top of the Texan depth chart in 2008 starting the first eight games before breaking his left tibia. He played in all 16 games,including 12 starts in 2009 and has recorded 132 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception since arriving in Houston.

The worst: Is it too early to call Amobi Okoye a bust. The defensive tackle, who has played three seasons in the NFL and hasn't even turned 23, has only eight sacks and 94 tackles since entering the league. The Texans are still hoping the Okoye can be great, but are already starting to look elsewhere spending a third round draft pick on tackle Earl Mitchell.

The rest: Jacoby Jones has become a fan favorite with his speed and improved his skills as a receiver last season catching 27 passes for 437 yards and six touchdowns.

Studdard had to fill in on the offensive line last season with all the injuries to the starters and showed why he should be considered for a starter for the 2010 season.

Bennett has shown sparks, but has also been picked on plenty of times by opposing quarterbacks in his first three seasons. He has intercepted five passes in his career, but did not see any playing time in the second half of the 2009 season and will likely be limited in 2010.

Frye and Harrison had short stints with the team and failed to remain Texans.

Final Verdict: C+ Until Okoye does something, this draft class will never get above this grade. Five of the seven picks are still on the team, but no superstars or playmakers and all five of them could easily be replaced.

The Cowboys top rookies following the 2007 draft were:

Round 1: Anthony Spencer

Round 3: James Marten

Round 4: Isaiah Stanback

Round 4: Doug Free

Round 6: Nick Folk

Round 6; Deon Anderson

Round 7: Courtney Brown

Round 7: Alan Ball

The best: Anthony Spencer has worked his way into the Cowboy lineup and started all 16 games last season at linebacker. He has 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception.

The worst: James Marten has only played one NFL game and has been on three different teams in three season.

The rest: Still on the roster are Free, Anderson and Ball. All have seen playing time, but have not become consistent starters.

Folk was booed out of town late in 2009 after missing way too many field goals.

Final Verdict: C- Spencer has produced and is the only reason that the grade is not a D or lower. The others who are still in Dallas will likely be fighting for roster spots this summer as Jerry Jones wants to play in his own building in February for the Super Bowl.

This is the reason students decide to go to the University of Texas. To have the opportunity to be a part of a national championship season.

Football rules supreme at UT, a school where the professors (or at least the good ones) decide to cancel class the day before Texas-OU weekend.

And for the third time in six years, Southern California will be painted burnt orange for the Longhorns matchup with Alabama on Thursday to decide a national champion.

However the two teams got there does not matter anymore. What happens in any other bowl game means nothing.

We have the two best teams in the championship and the only thing that matters is who has more points at the end of 60 minutes of football (and an hour long halftime).

Both teams have Heisman finalists. Both teams have great coaches. Both teams have over a century of traditions and fans that bleed burnt orange or crimson.

But only one team has a Cody Johnson.

The Longhorn running back is the key to beating the Crimson Tide. He is not getting any publicity and may not even be on the field for half the offensive snaps, but he will be the difference maker if Texas is able to win its second national championship in five years.

This season, Texas has had three different starting running backs. Mack Brown has switched it up every game between Tre Newton, Fozzy Whitaker and Johnson.

Johnson is the Longhorns’ power back who you will definitely see in goal line situations and on third and inches, but if it were up to me, he should be in for almost every first down.

A huge problem for the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship was the inability of the offense to get decent yardage on first down. That put them in many difficult third-and-long situations, which are obviously harder to convert than a third and three.

Johnson, to an extent, is like Jerome Bettis. He is able to power through defenders. Just ask the Oklahoma defense who was dragged on the back of Johnson, which gave the Longhorns an important first down late in October’s Red River Rivalry.

Averaging four yards per carry and scoring 12 touchdowns, Johnson is capable of making second and third down much easier for a Longhorn offense that will not be able to rely 100 percent on the pass.

Texas must have long drives, which will happen if it can run the ball for three-five yards and set up easier third downs.

Long drives will not only tire the Alabama defense, but keep Mark Ingram off the field. Newton, the freshman, has the speed and the agility to break a long run, but also can get stopped behind the line of scrimmage.

But Johnson complements him well adding the power. The duo of Newton and Johnson is to a lesser extent similar to USC’s Reggie Bush and LenDale White.

Texas has abandoned the running game at times this season and opposing defenses have taken advantage of it. See: Nebraska.

Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis cannot allow the Crimson Tide defense to know that Colt McCoy will be throwing the ball every down. They are going to have to mix it up. Nebraska made it seem like it knew what was going to happen every play. It was like the Huskers were in on the huddle. Alabama, who has the top defense, will be able to do the same thing.

Of course there are many other factors to this game, but I feel that the Longhorns' most underrated weapon is Johnson, who is capable of making a huge difference and winning Texas another championship.
Want to read more about the Longhorns?

ESPN's Pat Forde write about a side of Mack Brown you may not know about.

SI's Andy Staples also talks about the Longhorn running game.

See you in Pasadena and Hook'em Horns!