The Houston Texans are selecting 25th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft later this month, and the general consensus is that the Texans will be taking an offensive lineman.
It makes sense, considering Houston was brutal in the trenches this past season, allowing C.J. Stroud to get sacked 52 times. On top of that, the Texans traded away five-time Pro Bowl tackle in Laremy Tunsil, opening up an even larger hole.
Not surprisingly, Houston appears set to go in the direction of adding an offensive lineman, with John Hickman of Locked on Texans reporting that the team has narrowed down its first-round pick to three players, and all of them are offensive linemen: Kelvin Banks, Tyler Booker and Josh Conerly.
Banks and Conerly are both tackles while Booker is a guard, so you have to figure that Houston will be prioritizing the former two players due to the primacy of the position. Perhaps the Texans will then roll with Booker if both Banks and Conerly are off the board.
The absence of Josh Simmons is interesting, but it may indicate that Houston is expecting the Ohio State product to be long gone before it is on the clock. It may also be a sign that the Texans are worried about Simmons' health, as he is recovering from a major knee injury.
Regardless, Houston seems to be prepared to make the "safe" pick in the draft, which is definitely a smart move considering how much duress Stroud was under in 2024.
The Texans also need to add some weapons for Stroud, too, but this is a deep wide receiver class, and they can take care of that on Day 2 and beyond.
Houston Texans' Track Records Suggests NFL Draft Day Trade a Major Possibility
The Houston Texans are a team to watch to make a draft-day trade. General manager Nick Caserio and the Texans have been aggressive in trading up for a player they're interested in in the past years.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans held the second overall pick and drafted quarterback C.J. Stroud. However, Houston wanted to add a defensive cornerstone as well. Caserio was aggressive, trading the 12th and 33rd overall picks as well as their 2024 first and third-round picks for the third and 105th overall picks.
With the third pick, the Texans selected edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. The selections of Stroud and Anderson Jr. have helped turn around the franchise, leading to back-to-back Divisional Round appearances.
In the 2024 NFL draft, Caserio also traded up for a player, but it came in the third round. Houston traded the 86th and 123rd overall picks to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 78th overall pick, which they used to draft safety Caden Bullock.
Houston also traded down in the 2024 draft. They sent the 23rd overall pick and a seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the 42nd overall pick, a 2025 second, and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
The Texans could move up in the first round if they feel an offensive tackle or wide receiver they value would be off the board by the 25th overall pick.
Caserio has made 18 draft-day trades during his time as the Texans' general manager, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him trade up once again.
