The Houston Oilers entered what is expected to be their last draft in Houston hoping to fill needs at cornerback, wide receiver and the defensive line. When the draft ended, they had selected two players at each of those positions and nine overall.

The only problem with the draft is that the Oilers didn't get a cornerback in the first round, which was their intention going in.

After losing Cris Dishman to Washington, the Oilers needed to draft a top cornerback prospect. Darryll Lewis and the injury-prone Steve Jackson are the starters, and neither is more than 5-9 in a division of tall receivers.

They have no experienced depth. Anthony Dorsett played special teams as a rookie, and Lee Cole was a practice squad player. They are hoping to get at least one veteran corner cheap after June 1.

Unable to get a cornerback when they wanted, they did the next-best thing by bolstering the pass rush with Miami defensive end Kenny Holmes in the first round. After adding Tennessee receiver Joey Kent in the second, general manager Floyd Reese had two picks in the third round.

Reese got the first of two cornerbacks when he selected Denard Walker of LSU. Although they didn't need an offensive lineman, they thought Washington State's Scott Sanderson, a three-year starter at left tackle, was too good to pass up.

Reese also had two fourth-round picks. He used the first one on a receiver who might turn out to be the best pick in the draft. Michigan State's Derrick Mason is also an excellent return man who could signal the end of Mel Gray's career with the Oilers.

Reese traded a sixth-round pick to move up in the fourth round so he could get Troy State defensive tackle Pratt Lyons.

The Oilers got their other cornerback in the fifth round when they selected Baylor's George McCullough.

The sixth- and seventh-round picks were linebackers, Illinois' Dennis Stallings and Arizona's Armon Williams, both of whom are undersized but fast and should excel on special teams.

Because they don't sign many unrestricted free agents, Reese likes to stockpile draft choices because almost all of them will make the team and contribute in some capacity. But that wasn't the intention going in.

With the 13th pick in the first round, Reese talked to Oakland and Baltimore about trading up to get Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs or Texas cornerback Bryant Westbrook, but the price was too high.

Reese's next choice was to wait while either Nebraska's Michael Booker or Iowa's Tom Knight slipped. He figured one would be gone by the 13th pick but not both of them.

"If you had been willing to bet before the draft that all four corners would be taken among the first 11 picks, I don't think anyone would have taken that bet," Reese says. "When four went among the first 11 picks, I think it threw the first round out of sync."

Reese didn't want to reach for a cornerback, so he traded down with Kansas City into the 18th spot for third- and sixth-round draft choices.

"After the cornerbacks, we targeted four players we wanted, and we figured at least one would be there at 18," Reese says. "All four were there. It was hard to pass up (Colorado receiver) Rae Carruth and (Alabama linebacker) Dwayne Rudd.

"We thought about trading down again, but we didn't want to get greedy. Because we hadn't gotten a corner we wanted, we had to get a pass rusher. We were fortunate that Holmes was there. We had him rated as the second-best end prospect."

The Oilers are going to gift wrap the starting job on the right side for Holmes, who will replace Robert Young. In his only season with the Oilers, Young had only four sacks, and he was waived because of cap purposes.

"After last season, I said our No. 1 priority was to get a pass-rushing end," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Kenny's a first-class guy who already has his degree (in criminal justice), and he fits our system because he can do so many things on the right side.

"It's fair to assume he's going to play. He's not going to sit and watch for a year. One of the bright spots about our defensive line is that it's so young."

When the draft was over, naturally the Oilers were happy, just like every other team in the league.

"All in all, we think it was a pretty good draft for us," Reese says. "We wanted to acquire extra picks, and we were able to do that. We also targeted some players we were able to get.

"We've already agreed to terms with some players who weren't drafted, and we're going after some more. There's a lot of time between now and July to sign more players."

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/18 -- Kenny Holmes, DE, Miami

A 6-4, 264-pound right end who was clocked in the 4.6s by the Oilers. Of the team's 35 sacks last season, only 22 were contributed by linemen. He's an excellent athlete who has all the physical tools to be a top pass rusher, but he has to become more consistent and not take off as many plays as he did in college. Starting on the right side his last two years, he had 16.5 sacks. He can play the run when he wants to. In Oilers' system, right end doesn't rush in space much. He has to move inside and mix it up with the tackle. They think Holmes fits their style. Considering their needs on the pass rush, he was a good pick, especially since they had him rated as the second-best end.

Round 2/46 -- Joey Kent, WR, Tennessee

At 6-1, 186, he has good size, and he runs in the 4.4s. Some scouts don't think he plays that fast. The Oilers are looking for a receiver to develop opposite Chris Sanders. Willie Davis will do for now, but with him and Derek Russell as the second and third receivers, they need an infusion of young blood. Kent was Tennessee's first 1,000-yard receiver, and he accomplished that feat as a junior and senior. As Peyton Manning's favorite target, he set school records with 183 catches for 2,814 yards and 28 touchdowns. A big-play receiver with good hands, he isn't afraid to make catches over the middle. Based on their needs, he was a good selection in the second round.

Round 3/75 -- Denard Walker, CB, LSU

Because the Oilers play so much man coverage, they look for corners who have played bump-and-run first. That's what Walker did in college. At 6-1, 186, he's got excellent size, and he also runs in the 4.4s. He will have to learn zone coverage, and even though he's a willing hitter, he's not a physical player. He started on both sides the last two years, but he will begin on the right side with the Oilers. They needed a corner before the third round, but he fits their scheme.

Round 3/81 -- Scott Sanderson, OT, Washington State

They weren't desperate for another offensive lineman after selecting Jason Layman and Jon Runyan in the second and fourth rounds last year, but the coaches say you can never have too many. With Irv Eatman over the hill at right tackle and left guard Bruce Matthews 35, they need to develop some young ones. Sanderson started at left tackle three years. When he played best, he was 6-6, 270. When he gained to 290, he didn't play as well. He needs to get a lot stronger and may project to guard. For a team that needs to develop young linemen, he was a good choice because he can play inside or out.

Round 4/98 -- Derrick Mason, WR, Michigan State

At 5-11, 193, he has decent size, and he's more quick than fast (4.54). He'll compete for a backup job as a rookie and stands a good chance of beating out Mel Gray for the return job. In that capacity, some have compared him to the Rams' Eddie Kennison. One thing that stands out about Mason is his toughness. Last season he suffered a broken bone in his right wrist and a broken finger and didn't miss a game. Despite playing with a cast, he caught 48 passes for 822 yards and two touchdowns. Oilers demand that receivers block, and Mason should fill that bill. An excellent pick.

Round 4/107 -- Pratt Lyons, DT, Troy State

They traded up to get this guy because they thought he would go at the end of the first round or early in the second. He becomes the fourth defensive linemen drafted in the first four rounds in the last two years. Lyons, 6-5, 278, might be more suited for end because he lacks strength and gets knocked around. He's a finesse player now with a lot of natural rush skills. Another good pick if he contributes more than Kendrick Burton, a fourth-round pick last year who spent the season on the bench.

Round 5/146 -- George McCullough, CB, Baylor.

The second cornerback drafted. At 5-10, 187, he's small in the eyes of a lot of scouts, but he's taller than Darryll Lewis (5-9) and Steve Jackson (5-8), the starting corners. McCullough has cracked a 4.3, and he consistently runs in the 4.4s. He's also experienced at bump-and-run coverage. Outstanding as a junior, he had a new coach as a senior and was hampered by hamstring and ankle injuries. Good pick at this spot.

Round 6/181 -- Dennis Stallings, MLB, Illinois

Coached in college by new Oilers linebackers coach O'Neill Gilbert. Played between Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice as sophomore and junior and led the team in tackles, a feat he accomplished again as a senior. Lacks size but has good speed and quickness and makes plays from sideline to sideline. Not big enough to take on center and guards but knows how to use hands and shoulders to slip blocks. Also an excellent special teams player. With Barron Wortham the only middle linebacker on the roster, they had to draft another one. They still hope to re-sign Al Smith if they can get him cheap.

Round 7/216 -- Armon Williams, OLB, Arizona

At 6-0, 223, he lacks size. Before he became an outside linebacker, he was a strong safety. The Oilers play their strong safety like a linebacker, and they are going to use him in that position, which will put him around the line of scrimmage a lot. He's got 4.5 speed and used to run track. He's also an outstanding special teams player. At this spot, they went for athleticism and special teams.