That is not true. Texans have something the others don’t..outside pass rushers. And the rotation DTs very effective bringing pressure up the middle. There are multiple ways to skin a cat.
We've had VERY good selections at our third round picks in prior years... Jonathan Greenard, Nico Collins, Christian Harris, Tank Dell... excited to see what Jaylin Smith and Jaylin Noel will bring to the table as this year's 3rd round picks.
Dang I go out for a few hours (not gonna say it wasn’t from an unintentionally call from Nick checking on my draft status, “Jay” prefix and all)….and you all let him pick Graham Mertz?!?
Houston Texans: B 2 (34): WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State Higgins — Higgins was one of the few receivers at the top of this draft class with ideal ‘X’ receiver size at 6’4” and 215 pounds, and he added to that physical profile with strong testing across the board at the NFL Combine. He profiles as a reliable possession receiver who dropped just three of his 209 targets over the past two seasons at Iowa State. It's not their biggest need along the OL, but adding another weapon for C.J. Stroud makes a lot of sense given Stefon Diggs’ departure and Tank Dell coming off a major injury. 2 (48): OL Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota Ersery — The Texans’ offensive line offseason overhaul continues here with the Ersery addition. Over the last two seasons, Ersery showcased an explosive first step and quick feet, allowing him to significantly impact zone-blocking schemes, where his 89.5 PFF grade charted in the 84th percentile. 3 (79): WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State Noel — Noel brings strength and athleticism to the slot for the Texans. He earned an 81.7 PFF receiving grade with 2.62 yards per route run in 2024, showing good body control on off-target passes and looking explosive with the ball in his hands. 3 (97): CB Jaylin Smith, USC Smith — Houston continues to add to a strong secondary. Although Smith posted a career-best 82.5 PFF coverage grade on this outside in 2024, he profiles as a solid option in the slot. He allowed just 0.90 yards per coverage snap and a 59.8 passer rating when targeted this past season. 4 (116): RB Jo'Quavious Marks, USC Marks — After spending four years as a regular member of the Mississippi State backfield, Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks transferred to USC, where he set career highs in PFF rushing grade (85.9), overall PFF grade (83.4), rushing yards (1,154) and missed tackles forced (34). On 622 career collegiate carries, Marks fumbled only once. Marks joins a backfield that features Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce as the Texans continue to load up on offense in this draft. 6 (187): S Jaylen Reed, Penn State Reed — This is a good value pick, with the Texans securing PFF’s 134th-ranked prospect at No. 187. Reed is a physical, downhill box safety who earned an 80.5 PFF run-defense grade in 2024. 6 (197): QB Graham Mertz, Florida Mertz — After a long career as Wisconsin’s starter, Mertz spent the past two seasons at the helm in Gainesville with mixed results. In his final season, he struggled to fend off freshman phenom DJ Lagway before a Week 7 ACL tear ended his college career. Aside from a bad opening game against Miami, Mertz had been throwing the ball well, as he didn’t have a PFF passing grade below 76.0 in any of the four games he played. 7 (224): DI Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers Hamilton — Despite being a regular part of Rutgers’ defensive rotation over the past few seasons, it wasn’t until 2024 that he truly stood out, posting a PFF grade of 81.3. He was particularly dominant against UCLA in Week 8, recording six pressures and two sacks with a 92.0 pass-rush grade. 7 (255): TE Luke Lachey, Iowa Lachey — Lachey comes in at 6-foot-6 and posted vertical and broad jump results above the 75th percentile at the tight end position. He wasn’t overly productive at Iowa, with just 362 receiving yards on 265 routes over the past two seasons.
Overall, I thought the Texans draft was good. The first round was a little disappointing as 15 of the first 25 selections were picked on offensive players. If there was a more even split between offensive and defensive players in the top 25, then the Texans would of been able to draft one of the offensive lineman that they really coveted. They were able to draft the BPA available at pick 34 and select Jayden Higgins who in 5 years we maybe saying is the 2nd best WR in the draft. I really like the LT Aireontae Ersery that was selected next. LT Josh Simmons has the best film but has the bad knee injury. When I watched film on Ersery, I thought he was the 2nd best prospect. He moves really well for a massive offensive lineman. Massive offensive lineman with great athletic ability such as Ersery always succeed in the NFL. I didn't think the Texans needed to draft another WR after Higgins because they have a crowded WR room, but Noel is a talent you can't pass up on. He should not of been available in the third round. I can't blame them for taking perhaps the best slot WR in the draft. Jaylin Smith was not overdrafted. The 49ers would of taken him 2 picks later if the Texans didn't. He fits the swarm mentality. Jaylin Smith was one of the fastest CB's at the combine and the Senior Bowl. He was a well known prospect with the coaches. I really like Woody Marks, but trading up to draft Woody Marks was not necessary. The draft was full of RB's. There were very similar style RB's that would of been available if Marks was selected by another team before the Texans did the trade up. I feel better when I think, if the Texans would of taken Jaylen Reed here and Woody Marks where Jaylen was selected then the values for their selections would of been more in line. Woody Marks complements Mixon. Marks is one of the best pass catching RB's in the draft and he will pass block for you. A lot of the RB's in the draft are terrible at pass block. Jayleen Reed was one of the best value picks in the draft. Another speedy DB that fits the swarm mentality. I trust that Demeco has plans for Reed in the defense. Depth in the secondary is needed. The next 3 picks are your 7th round picks. I included Graham Mertz in this category even though he was selected near the end of the 6th round. You don't expect much from your 7th rounders. Graham Mertz will compete for the emergency QB spot. His performance in the preseason will determine if the Texans keep him on the roster or practice squad. I have more hope for Kyonte Hamilton than the other two. 300 lb interior defensive lineman aren't suppose to run sub 5.0 40 times. Kyonte's overall athletic scores were really impressive which can translate to growth as a defensive lineman. For now he would be a developmental rotational interior defensive lineman. Luke Lachey is a slow footed big bodied Tight End. He's going to be your 3rd or 4th backup at the TE spot. Nothing stands out in his performance. Average TE blocker, ran over a 5.0 40 time, below average quickness. He will spend most of his time on special teams.
I would have liked to have drafted two of the more highly-rated guards to go along with Ersery at OT. I hope you're right that our current roster of OL will be good enough to win a Super Bowl.
I gave our draft a strong B (85-86%) What would I have done differently? Well, I am glad you asked. Ceteris paribus 1) trade 1-25 + 2026 3rd to LAC for 1-22 22 OL Donovan Jackson 2) trade 2-58 + 2026 2nd to NYG for 2-34 + 5-154 34 WR Jayden Higgins 79 WR Jaylin Noel 89 OL Caleb Rogers 3) trade Trade 166 + 2026 6th for 149 + 217 149 RB Jaydon Blue 217 IDL Zeek Biggers 236 OT Logan Brown (never would have guessed he would become UDFA) 241 TE Jalin Conyers UDFA LB Brandon George Edge Elijah Ponder Ah well.... a brother can dream with 20/20 hindsight
Grade: A- Round 2 (No. 34): WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State Round 2 (No. 48): OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota Round 3 (No. 79): WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State Round 3 (No. 97): CB Jaylin Smith, USC Round 4 (No. 116): RB Woody Marks, USC Round 6 (No. 187): S Jaylen Reed, Penn State Round 6 (No. 197): QB Graham Mertz, Florida Round 7 (No. 224): DT Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers Round 7 (No. 255): TE Luke Lachey, Iowa Day Grades Day 1 grade: A Day 2 grade: A+ Day 3 grade: C Analysis: The Texans did well to add two more Iowa State Cyclones to their receivers room, with Higgins and Noel joining former teammate to support . I thought they might take Ersery in the first round, so the trade up for him in Round 2 made sense to me, as did the swap that led to the acquisition of the versatile and tough Smith in Round 3. Marks is not just a strong runner but can be another target for Stroud as a receiver. We'll see if patience would have been wiser than giving up a third-round pick next year to move into Round 4 for him. Mertz has some positive attributes but was inconsistent and suffered injuries in college. Hamilton meets a need for young depth at tackle. Lachey lost a step due to injury but could prove to have been a steal in the seventh.
Grade: B Here's why: The Texans needed pass catchers and another offensive lineman, and that’s exactly what they attacked on Day 2 of the draft after moving out of the first round. Analysts were split on who they preferred out of Iowa State's two WR prospects, so the Texans ended up taking both. Jayden Higgins can be an outside running mate for Nico Collins, and Jaylin Noel is a dynamic slot player who can return punts and is a feisty blocker. Both complement Collins well. Cornerback Jaylin Smith, who played outside and in the slot at USC, is willing to tackle and has speed. The Texans don’t need an outside corner and have Jalen Pitre in the slot, so I’m curious how Smith ends up being deployed. Most interesting pick: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota He's a big athlete with plenty of starts under his belt. Ersery is an easy mover who still needs work on playing with consistent technique and adding to his strength. But he’s big, and can recover with quick feet and flash some really nice blocks on the backside of runs. The Texans need a blindside protector for the future after trading away Laremy Tunsil, and Ersery might be able to beat out the recently signed stopgap Cam Robinson in training camp anyway. As the Texans try to figure out their best starting five, Ersery gives them a potential long-term answer at left tackle.
SIAP...I see that Isaiah Bond went undrafted. The source below projected him to be a third-round pick. https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Isaiah-Bond-WR-Alabama
This will have been a good draft for the Texans IF... 1) The top 5 picks prove on the field that they were worthy of being picked. 2) The OL is in the top-10 in the league, thus demonstrating that we in fact were NOT lacking talent in that room. Agreed?
I liked the WRs they drafted but a good WR core means nothing if CJ doesn't have time. We saw that last season.
On the contrary, we saw how valuable a good and deep WR core is when Diggs and Tank went down and all we had was Nico.
