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Texans may trade No. 1 pick

NEW YORK — Every NFL draft is filled with intrigue. When the crop of college players has 102 early entrants, including the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel, that simply ratchets up the excitement.

Here are five things to watch for in the first round Thursday night:

The Texans went 2-14 last season to more than earn the first spot in the proceedings. But there’s no certainty who they will grab, or if they will stay there.

General manager Rick Smith has made it clear the Texans have listened to offers for the first pick.

“If we take the first pick, we know who we want,” Smith said. “(But) we are obviously open to moving out of the first pick, if in fact there is an opportunity for us to do so and if we think that is in the best interest of the organization.”

Teams that could be interested in jumping up to the top, presumably to select South Carolina star defensive end Clowney, are Atlanta, Tampa Bay and even Dallas.

Many analysts have dubbed this the best draft for wide receivers in years, perhaps ever. The consensus top guy is Clemson’s Sammy Watkins, followed by Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Brandin Cooks of Oregon State, Odell Beckham Jr., of LSU, Marqise Lee of Southern California, and Kelvin Benjamin of national champion Florida State.

Watkins is projected to go in the first five picks, unusually high for a wideout.

“I think what sets Sammy apart is his sincerity and passion for the game,” ESPN analyst and 2003 Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden said last week.

No one is comparing this to the 2012 class that produced Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Still, there’s talk four quarterbacks could go in the opening round.

There’s also some thought that only two, Texas A&M’s Manziel and Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, will be taken Thursday night.

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