Texans follow up a strong free agency by giving CJ Stroud a new weapon to help get him back on track in a new 2026 NFL mock draft

A new 2026 mock draft has the Texans landing a shiny new weapon for CJ Stroud and their passing game.

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer

Mar 22, 2026 4:07 PM EDT

The Houston Texans saw their defense perform like one of the best in the NFL in quite some time last year. This included a stellar playoff showing to cap it off, but unfortunately, CJ Stroud and Houston’s offense didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

This resulted in the Texans being eliminated in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs thanks to a turnover frenzy from Stroud. Finding a way to get better play out of that side of the ball while keeping their defense intact became priority one for the offseason.

A new mock draft from A to Z Sports has the Texans improving that group by adding one of the top pass catchers in the 2026 NFL Draft class, giving Stroud a shiny new weapon at his disposal.

Texans select Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston in a new mock draft

“The Texans added three new starters and a Pro Bowler via Wyatt Teller in free agency, all of which came after the David Montgomery trade. The Reed Blankenship addition was a luxury, given what else Houston boasts on that side of the ball, but the last hole to fill is WR. Washington would be a perfect complement to what the Texans have in Nico Collins. He can win at the catch point and give CJ Stroud another vertical element.  – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports NFL Draft analyst

The Texans have been hard at work to improve their offense this offseason. As you read above, they traded for Montgomery to be their new lead back in the run game and have found a couple of new starters on the offensive line in Teller and Braden Smith.

So if they want to prioritize the offense still with their first pick, a pass catcher would make a ton of sense for them to consider. In this mock, they landed Boston, a big-bodied wide receiver who has excelled at winning 50/50 balls and moves better at his size than many would expect.

This would give the Texans two outside forces in Boston and Nico Collins, and the plan would be for Tank Dell to assume his rightful place as the team’s starting slot wide receiver when healthy. Collins and Boston both have the flexibility to fill the X and Z wide receiver roles on the outside, which would make them a tough duo to cover.

If this level of improvement isn’t enough for Stroud to play at a higher level, the Texans would need to have some tougher conversations going forward. For right now, though, I would fully expect Houston to feel confident in their quarterback going forward, and doubling down on him with this type of draft pick would show that to the world.

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