Texas Recruiting 2014: My Guys Recruiting Draft, Round 2

The first round of the second annual BON My Guys Recruiting Draft dropped on Monday morning, so now it's time to take a look at the second round of picks. For those who missed it, here's the retrospective on the 2013 edition, and here's how the picks went down in the first round:

1. Arlington Martin defensive end Myles Garrett -- HH
2. Beaumont Ozen cornerback Tony Brown -- GoBR
3. Mansfield Timberview safety Edward Paris -- GHG90
4. Denton Guyer quarterback Jerrod Heard -- TAH
   

Round 2, Pick 1 -- The Audit Horn

Fort Worth All Saints running back/fullback Daniel Gresham

Alright, leading off the second round, I'm going with a guy further down the recruiting rankings, but he's probably my favorite of the class so far. In the first round, I went with a Honda. Safe, smart, sensible, reliable take. For the second round, I'm taking a Hummer. Its big, has a huge engine, and would help navigate downtown traffic. I want the Hummer, and if I don't get it now, it may not be available when my next pick comes up. I'm going with Fort Worth All Saints RB/FB/bowling ball Daniel Gresham.

Powerful, thickly built running backs are shiny toys to me. Dangle one in front of me and I'm gonna snatch it up. And Gresham checks many boxes for me. Very low center of gravity, fantastic balance, and very tough to bring down. I think the comparisons to Joe Bergeron are fair in the sense that both have that similarly thick lower build and maintain balance through contact. When Gresham nears contact, he gets low to maintain his balance and reduce the impact on momentum. As a fullback, he brings a similar pad level, dipping underneath a defender and exploding through their chin. The film is loaded with him taking defenders off of their feet.

The depth chart sets up favorably for Gresham and really shows the need for him as a take. By his arrival in 2014, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron could be gone to the NFL, leaving John Gray, Kyle Hicks, and fellow 2014 classmate Donald Catalon. At FB, Chet Moss and Alex De La Torre will be around. Gresham will be the only true power back on the roster at that point. Bryan Harsin will find ways early to get Gresham on the field, as a lead blocker, short yardage back, H-back type that can motion around the field. I can't wait to see him out there.

Now that I've managed to take the first two offensive players off the board, I'm turning it back to Blake. If y'all can kindly leave one of them stud DEs and DBs around for my next pick, it would be appreciated.

Round 2, Pick 2 -- GoHornsGo90

St. Augustine (LA) running back Leonard Fournette

What's this, a snake draft!? Y'all are just making it too easy for me.

I'm a masochist for LSU leans, so I'll go ahead and stake my claim for St. Augustine (LA) RB Leonard Fournette. Fournette, who most feel is the number 1 RB in 2014, is a 6'0," 230 lb. athletic anomaly. Kind of reminds me of an amalgamation of Adrian Peterson and Marcus Lattimore. Yes, I realize that's high praise. No, it doesn't mean I'm implying he's as good as either of those players or that he's somehow as good as both of them combined.

The Peterson comparison stems from Fournette's freakish size/speed combination. Like AD, Leonard plays much faster when he's getting forward instead of running sideways and has amazing testing speed for his size. Very explosive through the hole as well. On the other hand, I don't purport to know whether Fournette also views the NFL as analogous to slavery, like Peterson does. I just know he's going to be there in half a decade. The NFL, not enslaved.
The Lattimore resemblance is in their fantastic short-space juking ability for big guys and the way they both manage to run high, but still behind their pads. They also both have a propensity to avoid clean hits, which accentuates an ability to run through tackles without being slowed down much, if any.

Fournette's a great fit for UT's more power-centric offense of the past couple years, but he's a perfect fit for LSU and Bama's boring-as-all-hell plod-fests. *Cut to obligatory annoying poster frantically scrolling to comments section to remind me who played in last year's national title game* I KNOW WHO PLAYED IN THAT GAME. I watched it. And it was A-W-F-U-L.

Fournette would be a great addition to the 2014 class, but between already-commits Donald Catalon and power back Daniel Gresham, he's not a must-get or anything near that. He's a luxury recruit--always the most enjoyable recruitments to watch. Still, I'd relish the opportunity to see him go shoulder-hunting for DB's.

You're up, Wes!

Round 2, Pick 3 -- GoBR

La Porte linebacker Hoza Scott

Donald Catalon feels like he did at the Texas camp right now -- on the sidelines and ignored. Kid wore a Mack Brown Texas Football camp shirt to the OU satellite camp in Houston. Where's some love for your boy Donald? Kid may not be Fournette, but he's the best running back in the state. You and your weird LSU lean fetish. Maybe you should just become a Tiger fan, Blake.

Speaking of crazy, how about the fact that the no. 1-ranked player in the entire state by Orangebloods is still on the board halfway through the second round? What's wrong with us?

Besides the fact that La Porte linebacker Hoza Scott really likes the Aggies, what isn't there to like about him? He's a physical, downhill 'backer at a legit 6-3 and 225 sturdy pounds, with the frame to eventually play at 240 easily without losing his speed. Sounds kind of like a future edge rusher, no? A 3-4 OLB?

Well, that's what I thought after not seeing a lot of work in coverage on film. Then I saw him in College Station and he looked like a natural in coverage, jumping a route in the flat, hustling downfield late in the game with it already decided and a nagging injury, coaching up his teammates off the field, calling out a play on the field to help his teammate come up with an interception. Wow.

In a setting where Scott could easily have been a non-factor, he was unquestionably the most impactful player on the field. My type of guy.

Did I mention y'all are crazy for not taking Scott already? Aight, y'all's loss is my gain. Let's just hope that Texas' loss isn't the SEC's gain when this is all said and done.

Alright, HH, you're up. I know you probably have 25 players ranked on your draft board, but you can only pick one. Well, two actually, since you get the first pick of the third round. So go ahead, are you going to give Lancaster safety Nick Harvey some love? Texas commit Derick Roberson, who has some sick film? How about Copell's Solomon Thomas, a violent potential swing guy?

Also, I'm predicting that Blake picks Alief Taylor cornerback Chris Hardeman in the third round (an LSU commit), just to complete his transition to full-on Tiger fan. Then start talking about how they're DBU. My vision of the future is a nightmarish one.

Round 2, Pick 4 -- HaroldHill

Dallas Bishop Dunne cornerback Nick Watkins

I love Solomon Thomas but I've already picked a DE in Myles Garrett. This means I'm also not using this pick on Derick Roberson. For the record, I think Thomas has the highest floor of the three, by far, and it would be tempting to take him and have potential all-conference defensive line bookends with my first two picks, but I think now is the time to grab a DB. I realize this is probably where I should be picking Nick Harvey. He's #2 on the current LSR top 100 for 2014, and has been called the best Texas athlete in the class by people who have seen him. From watching his available highlights he's definitely a hard hitter for his size (5'10"-5'11" and 180 lbs. according to Rivals, though 247 says he's 5'9"), and could play multiple positions in college. Despite all that, he's only my 2nd favorite Nick in the class, and I'm using my pick on the one ahead of him: Nick Watkins of Dallas Bishop Dunne.

At around 6' and 180 lbs, Watkins has gotten some Carrington Byndom comps because of their similar size and Watkins' potential to be a pure cover corner. He reminds me a little of 2013 target Cole Luke in that anytime he intercepts a pass he's a threat to turn it into a pick six. Unlike Luke, punt returning may not be in Watkins' college future but he shows good hip action when turning to follow a receiver coming out of his breaks. He's got ideal size for the position, good defensive instincts, good recovery speed, and he can be a punishing hitter on receivers unfortunate enough to be targeted in the flat. As good an athlete as Harvey is, I like Watkins better as a corner. In a class so heavy in DBs I gotta pick one up here, and with Tony Brown and Ed Paris off the board, I like Watkins as the next best option who could realistically end up playing in Austin.

And that wraps up the second round. How about the fact that Nick Harvey is still on the board? Are we loco or is that reasonable given the talent in the class? And how about newbie The Audit Horn going bold with his second-round pick and taking Daniel Gresham. I mean, I love the kid, but couldn't that be a bit of a reach? -- GoBR