Jan 13, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeVier Posey (11) on the field with an injury as they take on the New England Patriots during the second half of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 41-28. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

According to the Texans official website, several players are primed for big impact when they return in 2013. The long awaited arrival of Brian Cushing to the field feels long overdue now, and the guy who is new to Battle Red, Ed Reed, is also going to be a talking point after undergoing a sneaky hip procedure earlier in February.

But while the Texans aren’t missing any big names like an Andre Johnson or a Matt Schaub as we head towards training camps, the few guys that are injured could still be in for a rough ride early this coming season. Here’s a look at what we could see from each of them.

Wide Receiver DeVier Posey – Achilles 

There’s been a lot said on Posey in the past two months. At one point it looked like he would be healthy for training camp, but Gary Kubiak put a big blanket over that rumour a week ago when he told reporters that Posey will likely return midway through the season instead.

It’s not so much that Posey is still in the thick of the ‘recovery process’, it’s that he is trying to regain some muscle memory in the tendon and strengthen it to once again run routes at full pace. There’s also a lot to be said for this kind of injury mentally, especially when a receivers’ feet are his biggest money makers, and stepping back onto the field after such a brutal injury sustained in the playoffs tends to play on your mind when you first lace up.

The best news to come from all of this though, is that Posey is still amongst the team, and still learning. Last season was Posey’s year to fit in on the roster and find himself as a rookie, and with Kevin Walter gone, there’s a space for him to slot in next to DeAndre Hopkins in years to come and learn from Andre Johnson now that he’s in his later years.

For those wondering, Posey has been at OTA’s, and is boning up on the playbook. He’ll start the year on the PUP list, but even so, when he does return there’s a chance he could place some big yards on the board with some more playing time up for grabs. Posey has also been focusing on his upper body strength, so I expect to see some added size in six months time.

Linebacker Brian Cushing – ACL 

Brian Cushing hasn’t been at OTA’s so far, but should be as good as gold by training camp after a long crawl back to the team with an ACL injury.

Like Posey, Cushing has attended team activities, and sat on the sidelines trying to participate. Aside from that though, how Cushing will perform come September – when real football begins – still remains a mystery.

When it comes to competitiveness, Cushing is in the J.J. Watt category, no argument. Unfortunately, that ACL injury is a tough one, especially when you’re playing such a versatile and demanding position like linebacker.

According to various medical reports, an ACL injury ranks as the number one time loss injury in the NFL. Wide receivers and running backs are the most at risk, but linebackers aren’t far behind. Now, I’m not saying Cushing will step on to the field and reinjure himself, but the chances of a slower, much more composed Brian Cushing are on the cards.

From what’s been said of the injury, the rehab process has gone well. Whether or not he has an Adrian Peterson style recovery/bounce back season remains to be seen, but the general amount of time allowed for full ACL recovery (after surgery), is 12 months. If Cushing is playing by September, he’ll come in just a month short.

Cushing has never been a player to chalk up a ton of sacks every season, but he always ranks highly in tackles, and has played a big part in developing the Texans’ run defense in the past four years. Come November and December, Cushing could really warm up. Maybe, just maybe, don’t expect him to be at his 100%, in your face, best straight away in Week 1 though.

Safety Ed Reed – Hip 

Ed Reed has been in the Posey category too. Once the overnight hip surgery that noone really knew about was done, the rehab process started, and everything looked clear for him to start in Week 1. But then again, it’s never a good idea to get ahead of yourself in this league.

All of a sudden the euphoria of signing Reed two months ago has evaporated, and since the Texans knew nothing of his hip injury during free agency, the Texans were surprised to learn last week that he could miss regular season games while he recovers.

As this news came out, it was a big surprise, but Reed has missed time previously with the Baltimore Ravens before. He’s had a long list of injuries, and the Ravens secondary managed to hold up. Still, the Texans defense was relying on Reed to not only add some leadership, but to also play on some of the AFC’s top flight guys.

The scariest part of all of this, is that Wade Phillips is concerned about Reed’s availability. To me that says that Reed may miss not only Week 1, but a few more games, and slide in towards the middle of the season.

If that’s the case, it’s hard to say what we’ll see from Reed. When he missed time with the Ravens in 2010 and only played in 10 games, Reed still managed eight interceptions and a forced fumble. Perhaps at age 34 though, that’s now a bit ambitious.

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Apr 26, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans first round draft pick wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins poses for a picture with a jersey during a press conference at at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Looking at the Texans’ entire six round campaign, it’s easy to pinpoint who will be an immediate starter, and who has been drafted by Rick Smith to fill some space or push the current starting talent even harder – especially on defense.

Here’s the grades for each round, with some comment:

Round 1 – Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins

The Texans got lucky in the first round, after no one bar Tavon Austin had been selected come the 27th spot. It left the Texans with a smorgasbord of choices, and Hopkins was likely the safest.

A lot of guys in this years’ class were good, but very raw at the same time. Cordarelle Patterson needs time to step in and develop behind a veteran – something he’ll receive in Minnesota – while guys like Robert Woods slipped to the second round thanks to a few small flaws. Hopkins’ has the athleticism that the Texans were looking for, but also the least issues in the long term. He needs to add some weight, and work on his blocking game. Two area’s of focus as he steps onto the practice field soon.

Grade: A

Round 2 – Defensive Back D.J. Swearinger 

I was a little skeptical of the Swearinger selection at first. He’s got the brains and the drive on the field to go far, but has to improve his coverage on tight ends. This was easily a smart pick though in hindsight, since it not only answered a need on defense for the Texans, it also gives Wade Phillips the option of resting Ed Reed on certain plays – and of course adding some cushion to a position that has been ravaged with injury lately.

Swearinger is only little at 5’10, but is a favorite to compete hard at training camp. Most definitely starting caliber straight away.

Grade: B+

Round 3 – Offensive Tackle Brennan Williams, Defensive End Sam Montgomery 

The Texans were always going to take a tackle at some point, since all of the Matt Schaub worries and such. What was surprising though was the Sam Montgomery pick, since defensive end appeared to be way down the list.

Montgomery is slated to play at outside linebacker this season, which makes sense given the troubles their last season and the need for someone to fit in with Whitney Mercilus and Brooks Reed. The coaches seem to be high on Montgomery’s strength, but the transition from defensive end to linebacker could take some fine tuning. There’s also  been mention of Montgomery having a few issues with interviews and his personality.

Grade: B

Round 4 – Defensive End Trevardo Williams

Williams started on both sides of the line during his career at UConn, and favored to do some linebacker work with the Texans as well. He possesses a lot of initial burst coming off the line, and can be up in a quarterbacks face pretty quickly. There are some size issues along with defending the run in man coverage, but for a fourth round pick, this is far from bad.

Grade: C

Round 6: Offensive Tackle David Quessenberry, Wide Receiver Alan Bonner, Defensive Tackle Chris Jones, Tight End Ryan Griffin

Two picks stand out here, and they’re both on offense. Adding another wide receiver in a late round was a smart move, simply to play it safe if another injury occurs along the lines of DeVier Posey again. The drafting of a tight end is also a plus, even if there is already five others on the roster. Griffin stands at 6’6 and 247-pounds, and even though he has a sturdy set of hands, he is likely to fill in on the run blocking side of things sooner or later.

Grade: C+

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Sep 29, 2012; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (6) during the fourth quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Clemson won 45-31. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

But was he the best option with the 27th overall pick?

Tavon Austin, the Rams’ new solution to Danny Amendola’s contract with New England, was probably the best available receiver this year. Don’t take it the wrong way, Hopkins was touted as one of the best too, but after a five star combine performance, Austin was the wide receiver that every fan (especially the Jets), wanted.

Right next to Austin though, Hopkins stands. And as so many top offensive prospects still remain available heading into day two, it once again shows that the Texans never really had to worry about missing out on a go-to wide receiver.

What puts Hopkins in Austin’s elite caliber class, isn’t just his stats. He did have 3,020 total yards with Clemson, and 27 touchdowns, but it’s so much more than that.

When you look at guys like Cordarelle Patterson, the Minnesota Vikings second answer to Percy Harvin, there’s a lot that isn’t there. Patterson is still raw, mainly thanks to playing only one season with Tennessee. He lacks the great pair of hands that Hopkins has, and can have issues reeling in tough passes.

Robert Woods has issues to his name as well. Still undrafted heading into round two, I thought Woods was the Texans’ best option if Hopkins and Justin Hunter weren’t available. He’s an awesome route runner and endzone threat, but he lacks the strength and burst from the line of scrimmage that some of the best receivers have.

As it stands right now, if the Texans somehow went for a cornerback or linebacker in round one and we were sitting here talking about wide receivers still – with Hopkins already off the board –  Hunter would be the guy worth choosing. He’ll likely be drafted in round two, and is one of the best receivers when it comes to securing tough contested balls.

But what Hopkins has going for him, probably isn’t physical. There’s just a lot of hype around him as one of the bigger receivers in his class, and when you’re drafted to perhaps one day replace Andre Johnson, people are going to talk.

Hopkins will provide the Texans with a lot once he is fully developed. And of course he has weaknesses, just like any other. There’s room for a bit more bulk to be added in the next year or two, and he can struggle in the blocking game from time to time, something that will be watched heavily when Arian Foster touches the ball.

Yet those few minor nitpicks are overshadowed by what we can hopefully expect from him. At Clemson, he was an every down receiver, managing 22 catches on third down, and averaged most of his yards in the middle of the field on shorter routes. The Texans would receive a top grade after their round one performance, because it’s answered every need.

Rick Smith continues to plug up problem areas this offseason.

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