’14 Texans Draft Prospects: Saturday Bowl Games

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Nov 9, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive tackle Zack Martin (70) blocks at the line of scrimmage against Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Shakir Soto (52) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl will take place at noon EDT where Rutgers (6-3, 3-5 American Conference will face Notre Dame (8-4) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y. on ESPN.

Notre Dame has 12 players listed on the CBS Board, with seven projected to be drafted, including three possible picks in the first two rounds.

The players projected to be selected in the first round are: defensive end Stephon Tuitt (6-6, 312), defensive tackle Louis Nix (6-2, 345) and offensive guard Zack Martin (6-4, 308).

Let’s spotlight Martin, who could be selected in the first or second round.

The Texans need a lot better pass protection next season, or we’ll see more of the same disruption in the backfield. If Martin is available in the second round, the Texans might take a look at him.

Martin could fall to the second round as he’s projected to be selected at the end of the first round at No. 32 to the Seattle Seahawks, but who knows from where the Seahawks will eventually draft.

In the draft analysis by CBS writer Rob Rang, it says of the guard:

"“He does play with good quickness (but not explosiveness) off the snap, showing knee bend and core strength to anchor, as well as the lateral agility to mirror more athletic defenders. He also shows better athleticism than you might think when blocking on the move.”"

Oct 10, 2013; Louisville, KY, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Brandon Coleman (17) tries to escape the tackle of Louisville Cardinals safety Calvin Pryor (25) during the first quarter at Papa John

Rutgers has seven players on the board, but I want to spotlight wide receiver. Coleman, a junior, stands at 6-5 (220 pounds) and is projected as a possible late-round first but could fall to the second or third round.

On his draft page, it says of the wide receiver:

"“Coleman is second in school history with 19 career receiving touchdowns. In 38 career games and 26 starts at wide receiver, Coleman has 92 career receptions for 1,743 yards. He is averaging 18.9 yards per reception in his career.”"

I believe the Texans need a lot of help at wide receiver (besides the top two on the roster), so it can’t hurt the Texans to look to add more talent at the position this offseason.