Texans decision to trade down in the first-round reveals who the top target was but now the team has firepower to do serious damage on Day 2
The Houston Texans made an interesting decision in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night by trading out of their top selection in favor of moving back and adding more future selections. And the reason why makes sense.Leading up to the draft, multiple insiders pinned the Texans as a possible trade up […]
The Houston Texans made an interesting decision in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night by trading out of their top selection in favor of moving back and adding more future selections. And the reason why makes sense.
Leading up to the draft, multiple insiders pinned the Texans as a possible trade up team to land one of the top offensive linemen in the class. Houston, likely, tried multiple times to move up but no deal presented itself.
Instead, the Texans stayed put in hopes that their ideal target landed in their laps, and he nearly did. That target was Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, whom the team did extensive work scouting. Unfortunately, Jackson went one pick prior to the Texans' selection to the Minnesota Vikings, prompting Houston to regroup.
By moving back with the Giants, the Texans were able to pick up the 34th and 99th overall picks on Friday, as well as a 2026 third-rounder.
"That was the best thing for us," general manager Nick Caserio said. "Puts us in a pretty good spot. Two twos, three threes. Picked up another three next year. We think we're going to get some pretty good football players tomorrow. We felt like the value of the draft was basically in the middle. So try to take advantage of our opportunities here tomorrow."
Speaking of those opportunities, here's a quick mock draft for Day 2 showing which players the Texans could be targeting.
34th Overall Pick: CB Shavon Revel
The Texans secondary is absolutely loaded, but stick with me here. Shavon Revel was expected to be a first-round talent until suffering a torn ACL back in September, ending his 2024 season.
Yes, the Texans already paid Derek Stingley Jr. and drafted Kamari Lassiter last year while also trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason. But, if this team wants to consistency be a legit threat in the AFC, they need high level depth at all positions.
With the extra picks, Houston can afford to add such a luxury to the secondary and continue building one of the best defensive backends in football. Revel is expected to be cleared for contact by training camp and already met with the team on a Top-30.
58th Overall Pick: RB Quinshon Judkins
Again, not quite a position of dire need, but one that proved to be detrimental in 2024 after Joe Mixon missed time due to injury. The Texans have done a lot of work on the running back class during the draft process and clearly want to take advantage of a loaded crop by adding someone behind Mixon.
Quinshon Judkins would be the ideal complement to Mixon's game. Judkins has the ability to be a true workhorse at the next level and he's a hard man to bring down once he gets going, although he lacks the homerun speed.
Judkins will have a lot of interest from teams picking early in the second-round, which makes adding the Giants pick early a key move. He's also a suitable pass catcher for C.J. Stroud to target out of the backfield and can easily slide into a more featured role in the next few years.
79th Overall Pick: WR Kyle Williams
In theory, I could see Houston making this pick a little earlier. Kyle Williams has been a fast-rising name among league circles and is expected to go in the first-half of the second-round, but a few top wide receiver options falling out of the first could push him down the board, which would be good news for Houston.
Williams is an incredibly smart route runner and has the speed to serious challenge opposing defenses down the field. Having him work opposite Nico Collins on the outside with Christian Kirk in the slot gives Stroud three reliable targets to go to until Tank Dell returns from injury.
His energy and style of play would make for a great fit in this young Texans' offense. To compete in the AFC these days, you need explosive play-makers and Williams is the top guy for the job still on the board going into Day 2.
89th Overall Pick: OT Charles Grant
And finally, the offensive line pick is made, much later than anyone might have expected. The Texans could go with Aireontae Ersery earlier in the second-round as a true left tackle but the interest in Donovan Jackson makes me lean toward a more versatile protector who has the athletic ability to play at multiple spots.
A guy like Charles Grant would be perfect. Grant is a high-upside guy to bet on drafting who is highly athletic and his potential development is through the roof.
The ideal landing spot for his style of play is in some form of Shanahan/McVay offense and with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley coming in, the fit is there in Houston. As a small-school guy, he'll have a chip on his shoulder too. And I'm always an advocate for drafting former wrestlers up-front.
99th Overall Pick: DT Shemar Turner
And for good measure, let's given DeMeco Ryans another defensive depth player. Shemar Turner again fits well with the team culture in Houston and helps add some youth to the interior of the defensive front.
At Texas A&M, Turner played in between Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton, two of the top edge rushers in the class. Playing between them, he tallied 8.0 sacks over the last two seasons with 17 tackles for a loss.
Imagine what he can do playing in Ryans' scheme sandwiched between Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter off the edge in Houston.
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