Jadeveon Clowney to Houston Texans: Toro Times Weighs In

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) waves to the crowd as he is selected as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Forsha from our sister Houston Texans site, Toro Times, was kind enough to weigh in this evening as we did a quick Q&A on Jadeveon Clowney being picked first overall in the NFL Draft. (Give them a follow at @Texans_TT, by the way.)

It’s official–Jadeveon Clowney is now a Houston Texan. Can you talk about the reaction and the overall sense of optimism that I imagine is coming from Texans fans right about now?
Myself, I felt there was no other choice for the Texans to make with the No. 1 overall selection other the Jadeveon Clowney. I feel once those folks of the Texans fan base who really wanted Johnny Manziel as the number one pick get over the sting of the Texans passing on him they will come to really like what Clowney has to offer to the Texans. This was the best choice.

Obviously, a big plus for Clowney going to Houston is that he’ll be on one end with J.J. Watt being on the other. How important is that for him coming in to be under the tutelage of such a dynamic defensive player, as well as playing under Bill Kollar, who’s had a hand in developing Watt?
This is the perfect situation for Clowney. Plus playing in Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 scheme, Clowney will play on the ground most of the time, but can also stand up and play some OLB as well. By having Watt on the same defense, Clowney won’t get all the focus put on him. Clowney or Watt will break free in this defense.

Let’s play the “what if” game. What if the Texans hadn’t selected Clowney first overall? Conceivably, what could you have seen them doing with the pick–select another player (i.e. quarterback) or trade down?
My second choice for this team was to trade down, but stay in the top 10 of this draft. I was also big on Blake Bortles, and I feel Teddy Bridgewater is being overlooked in this draft as well.

Gut feeling. I know there’s been a lot of pageantry surrounding Clowney. Will he be the defensive star and/or franchise-defining player the Texans are looking for? Why or why not?
He will be a star in the NFL…no doubt in my mind. It didn’t matter what team selected him, he’s a game changer and will be fun to watch in the NFL this fall.