Thursday night's opening act of the 2014 NFL Draft was packed with enough twists, turns and wonderment to make the Jadeveon Clowney pick feel almost like paint-by-numbers.
To their credit, the Houston Texans didn't get cute at No. 1. They simply grabbed this year's most terrifying defensive talent and never looked back.
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"I'm just ready to get down there and help the organization out and get to work," Clowney said Thursday, per the team's official website. "I know myself, and I'm not going to let anybody down. I'm going to show the world what I got."
Asked how Clowney will be used come Week 1, general manager Rick Smith told reporters: "I fully expect that he will be an outside linebacker initially."
That's what we anticipated from defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who's promised a multiple-look front that will pair Clowney with human fever-dream J.J. Watt to wreak havoc on the AFC South. Clowney confirmed that his list of chores will be simple at the start.
"Pass rush," said the newest Texan. "(Crennel's) gonna start me off slow. Pass rush, that's my strong point. Then he's going to show me and get me involved in dropping, schemes and all, which I know I can do."
The latest "Around The League Podcast" provides instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
