The entire OB staff got together for a little off-season fun, selecting players from the 2016 Longhorn team in our "off-season player draft."
In Part 1, we present the first four rounds ... the top 20 selections. Look for part two of the draft later this week.
In the exercise, we randomly generated a draft order and used a serpentine draft (last pick of round 1 selects first in round 2). The objective was to field the best team of players who will have an impact on the 2016 Longhorn season.
| Draft Pick | Explanation |
|---|---|
Ketch - Malik Jefferson LB | The top NFL prospect in the program, the unabashed leader of the entire program and potentially the No. 1 defensive playmaker in the entire Big 12 going into his sophomore season. Easy selection. |
Jason - Shane Buechele QB | This was an easy choice for me. I actually had Buechele 1 and Jefferson 1A. If the draft is based on player value for the 2016 season, no single player could impact UT’s success more than Buechele. |
Alex - D’Onta Foreman RB | Foreman is the best runner on a team that will live and die by the run in 2016, plus he’s the team’s best overall player, period. Very easy choice. |
Anwar - Chris Warren RB | This is the guy I believe can have a huge impact. With Foreman off the board, I needed to grab one of Texas’ top offensive options. I did not view this as a risky pick. |
Dustin - Connor Williams LT | Someone has to block for that quarterback and those running backs, and have you seen the depth beyond Williams at his spot? Williams had an impressive freshman campaign and will be vital to Texas’ success in 2016. He’s a future pro too. |
| Draft Pick | Explanation |
|---|---|
Dustin - Holton Hill DB | Hill is Texas’ best defensive back and a star in the making, in my opinion. The only players I would have selected ahead of him are Jefferson, Buechele, Williams, and maybe John Burt. Texas is going to need Hill to be a consistent playmaker this season. |
Anwar - John Burt WR | Being able to grab Texas’ top receiver in the second round was a steal. Burt should finish as the team’s leader receiver this season. With Warren and Burt on my team, I am feeling pretty good at this point. |
Alex - Patrick Vahe OG | The only players I would have taken ahead of Vahe here Holton Hill and then probably Connor Williams. While Williams was the better overall player in 2015, Vahe showed in the spring game that his strength and footwork have improved along with his movement skills. Vahe is at least the team’s second-best lineman and we should probably start considering the fact that he could be the best outright eventually. |
Jason - Collin Johnson WR | With Hill off the board, as expected, I was hoping either Burt or Johnson would fall to me here. Johnson’s going to start and should put up good numbers. Again, big impact on the 2016 season, so good value here. |
Ketch - Davante Davis - CB | The steal of the first two rounds as far as I’m concerned. I’ve already proclaimed him to be my darkhorse selection for all-American honors this season. I think we’re going to see Davis emerge as one of the best defenders in the Big 12. There’s not a player in round two I would take over him. |
| Draft Pick | Explanation |
|---|---|
Ketch - Charles Omenihu DE | With all due respect to all of the other defensive linemen on the team, I’ll take the emerging sophomore who brings both pass-rush skills and the ability to stop the run off the board. As with the selection, I believe I’ve landed a potential star-in-the-making. |
Jason - Anthony Wheeler LB | This is where things started to get tough for me. Ketch swiped Omenihu, who I really wanted, so Wheeler was next up. Maybe it’s because I was such a big fan of his as a prospect, but I’m expecting him to be very good at Texas and begin to shine this year. |
Alex - Kent Perkins OL | Perkins needs to have a big year in 2016 to ever live up to the expectations fans have had for him, but the fact remains that he’s certainly the senior that comes into the 2016 season most likely to be drafted in the NFL. In my first three picks, I’ve acquired the team’s best runner along with its best run-blocking tandem on the right side. |
Anwar - Breckyn Hager DE/LB | Maybe it’s a risky pick, but everyone in the building praises Hager. They love his work ethic and tenacity. I am leaving round three with the top receiver, a top running back and a linebacker who will be given every opportunity to succeed. |
Dustin - Naashon Hughes DE/LB | Hughes wasn’t as productive as I thought he’d be last season, but how many guys on the Texas roster can you name that have legitimate ability to edge rush? Not many. The Longhorns desperately need him to be a sack artist this season, and I was surprised to see Hager off the board before him. My dream pick at this point was Omenihu. |
| Draft Pick | Explanation |
|---|---|
Dustin - Paul Boyette Jr. DT | Again, this is about value and importance to the Longhorns. Boyette is a player I felt came on late in the year, finished strong, and does a lot of the little things well that allow him and defensive teammates to find production. With pretty much only true freshmen behind him, Texas is in trouble if he doesn’t produce. I was going with a defensive tackle here no matter what. |
Anwar - Zach Shackelford C | He is a projected starter, so I had to take him. I am not projecting him to be an all-American, but Shackelford will contribute right away. |
Alex - P.J. Locke DB | This was an insta-call as I was debating between Locke, who’ll be the team’s starting nickel corner in 2016, and Kent Perkins with my third pick. |
Jason - Poona Ford DT | Defensive tackle seems like the way to go here. Boyette was gone, and you know Ford is going to be a contributor this year, thus the choice. I also considered Armanti Foreman but I think Ford’s the safer bet since he’ll start and log a ton of reps. |
Ketch - Armanti Foreman WR | An absolute playmaker when he gets his hands on the ball, Foreman is perhaps the only receiver on the team you can say is a threat to score from any spot on the field. Consistency is his issue, but as he showed in the spring game when he pistol-whipped the starting secondary, this guy has Sunday talent. |
