k of the 2019 offensive linemen class?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteBattle Red Bloga Houston Texans communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsTexansOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:2019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Draft: Should Kaleb McGary Be A Texans Target?New Ryan Griffin Color Rush Jersey ,45commentsWhat to think of the highest rising stock of the 2019 offensive linemen class?CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Draft: Should Kaleb McGary Be A Texans Target?Offensive tackle Kaleb McGary is moving up NFL draft boards after a compelling NFL Combine and solid Pro Day. According to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, McGary is set to meet with 14 NFL teams by the time the 2019 NFL Draft begins. Although the Texans are not specifically mentioned as a stop on McGary’s trip around the NFL, he could be a potential option for Houston in either the first or second rounds. McGary’s resume is quite robust.He’s a three year starter at right tackle for the Washington Huskies, a two-time All Pac-12 selection, and one of the best stories of this draft class. Measuring in at 6’7” and 317 pounds, he has the build of a starting right tackle in the league. In his three years starting, McGary played against fourteen ranked opponents, so you can't say that he has faced elite talentMcGary is a beast at the point of contact.He understands leverage and how to effectively combo block with his fellow lineman.On this play against Utah, McGary (#58) blasts the defensive tackle out of the hole in a counter run and then works his way up to steamroll a smaller linebacker.He is the type of lineman who's only intention is to bury you. That tenacity is more than welcome at any level of football, and certainly in the NFL.McGary does a good job staying low and driving his feet throughout the play to create a massive hole for his running back.His inside run blocking game is top notch when everything is working in tandem. What McGary is not: a polished pass protector who can maintain blocks and knows how to anchor down against adept pass rushers. McGary’s Kryptonite in the pass blocking game is speed. Let’s roll the film.Yikes Play No. 1:McGary is at right tackle with a wing back to his outside. This forces the defender to play a wide-9 technique instead of being directly on top of the offensive tackle. This creates a longer route for the defensive end to get to the QB, but it also creates more distance between him and McGary.On this play, McGary whiffs because he lunges at the defensive end as he moves up the field instead of kick-sliding back to meet the DE where he is trying to go. Yikes Play No. 2:McGary gets beat around the corner by a speedy DE. All the defender does is emphatically swipe at McGary’s hands and dip his shoulders.That was enough to get by him.Without being able to grab onto the DE, McGary has to drop his shoulders to extend further out.He crosses his feet and forces the QB to run up into the pocket too early.Yikes Play No. 3:The kick-slide. The few plays where Washington throws the ball more than 12 yards down the field offer the best view into McGary’s current pass blocking technique.From this play D'Onta Foreman Color Rush Jersey , it’s apparent that McGary has some learning to do before NFL pass rushers come calling. Imagine Bradley Chubb going against McGary at this point. A player like Chubb, who will normally line up against the right tackle, could have some serious success against McGary if the young lineman cannot learn to get depth in his kick slide.Yikes Play No 4:To be fair, I actually am a fan of McGary and his run blocking film, but the Texansneed to know that the hype train running McGary’s stock up may be masking some flaws in his game.Here the Huskies have three players blocking two Buckeyes, which allows two linebackers to run untouched into the backfield. Now, there were other definite lapses in protection on this play, but McGary recognizing delayed blitzes such as this play will be critical for him if he wants to stay on the outside on the next level. I rarely believe that a player who has played tackle his entire career can seamlessly transition inside to guard and realistically thrive there, yet McGary may be one of those cases where guard could be a better fit than tackle in the NFL. A 6’7” guard may cause some vision problems for the QB, but his ability to combo-block and mauler mentality make him a good fit at right guard. The Texans’ first and foremost need right now is offensive linemen with the ability to maintain a block. No holding. No cut blocking (which you see quite often in the UW-OSU game from McGary). No watching the QB get sacked. Washington’s system didn't prepare McGary to be a Day One starter in the NFL, and the Texans need a Day One starter. With the league-wide interest in McGary peaking right before the draft, the Texans will likely only get one shot at drafting McGary: in the first round.With that in mind, I wouldn’t want to see McGary wearing a Texans hat after the 23rd pick is announced.If he falls into the second round Andre Johnson Color Rush Jersey , however, I would not be afraid of the Texans taking him with one of their two picks there and pairing him with another early round offensive lineman. Still, there would need to be a plan in place to let McGary shine in the run game and develop in pass protection.The team that takes a flier on McGary needs to focus on developing his technique, not submerging him in a fledgling offensive line. HOUSTON (AP) — Lamar Miller was searching for ways to improve this offseason after what he calls a disappointing 2017.It was then that the Houston Texans running back decided to take the advice of two former Miami Hurricanes running backs with a combined 25 years of NFL experience.Edgerrin James, a four-time Pro Bowler who spent 11 years in the NFL, and Frank Gore, a 35-year-old who made the Pro Bowl five times and is in his 14th season shared their secret for NFL longevity: weight loss. "They were just telling me that every year they tried to play lighter and lighter because as you get older they say you lose a step … and all that weight is not good," Miller said."So just having guys like that to give you some knowledge on some of the things that helped them throughout their career, I just felt like it would help me. So that's something I tried to focus on this offseason was to lose some weight."Gore called Miller his "little brother" and said he's a big believer in running backs getting lighter as they age."I used to play at 217, 218 when I was younger," he said. "Now I try to play lighter than that."That led the 5-foot-10 Miller to shed about 7 pounds, dropping from 225 last year to 218 this season.Though he didn't make the change until this season, his transformation was about three years in the making.Gore Arian Foster Color Rush Jersey , who Miller has long looked to for advice, first brought up that he started playing a bit lighter every year as he aged before Miller's first season in Houston in 2016. But Miller was just 25 at the time and thought he was too young to worry about something that helped older players.So, he went the other way and gained a few pounds before that season because he thought it would help him carry a bigger rushing load.He had a good year, rushing for 1,073 yards with five touchdowns, before a 2017 season where he finished with 888 yards rushing and never ran for more than 75 yards in a game all season.And when he spoke with James this offseason and he shared the same thing as Gore and suggested Miller should slim down, too, he decided to give it a try."I thought: ‘They had success doing it so why can't you,'" Miller said.It's a change he believes has made a big difference."I can feel it," he said. "I feel lighter when I'm running and stuff and overall my body feels good. I think it's helped me. So far, I've been doing good. I don't really see how it hasn't (helped)."The numbers back it up. Miller had 103 yards rushing last week for his fourth 100-yard game this season, and with five regular-season games left he needs just 13 yards to eclipse last year's rushing total.Coach Bill O'Brien has been impressed with Miller's improvement this season."He really wanted to come in this year and have a good year for us and that's what he's done," O'Brien said. "I think we've managed him pretty well and he's done a great job of Jose Altuve Color Rush Jersey , in the offseason, training and then having a good training camp. He's always been a consistent performer for us."The thing that disappointed Miller most about his numbers last year was that he averaged a career-low 3.7 yards a carry."That was bad," he said. "My whole career I was averaging 4 yards or better, so that was a big drop-off for me."This season he's boosted his average to 5 yards a carry, which is second only to the 5.1 yards he averaged in 2014 when he ran for a career-best 1,099 yards in Miami. Miller ranks sixth in the NFL in yards rushing and has the longest TD run in the league this season after he rumbled 97 yards for a score in Houston's win over Tennessee on Nov. 26.That run made him the only player in NFL history to have two TD runs of 95 yards or longer after he also had a 97-yard touchdown run in 2014 while with the Dolphins.Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said that Miller looked like a rookie on that run and Miller, who was a sprinter on Miami's track team along with playing football, said he heard similar things from many old friends after that touchdown."People were saying: "oh you still have your speed and stuff,'" Miller said. "So just hearing it from a lot of people that I grew up with was good."Gore was among those who delighted in seeing Miller break that long run and he raved about his work this season."He's balling," Gore said. "He's taking advantage of his opportunity. I hope he gets in the Pro Bowl."Miller knows the solid play of Houston's offensive line and his focus on being more decisive have also contributed to his success this season. But he's sure the weight loss gave him a boost and that's why he's going to follow in the footsteps of his fellow former Hurricane friends for the rest of his career."I'm back in a rhythm," he said. "I'm doing some positive things to help this team win and that's always a good thing. So, I'm going to keep that formula to try to keep losing weight as I get older."