Despite a sophomore slump from CJ Stroud and key injuries all over the offense, a stingy defense led the Houston Texans to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Now they have a chance to shore up any gaps before Stroud's extension kicks in. Let's take a look at what PFN predicted in their latest 7-round mock.
Booker transformed his body heading into 2024 and his game took the necessary steps along with it. He’s always played with the requisite violence and natural anchoring ability of a high-end guard, but his body composition aided his athleticism. He’s become a legitimately dominant left guard. And if anybody watched the Texans… (ever???) they’d see that left guard for the Houston Texans might be the most obvious team need in the league.
Injuries piled onto the Texans’ WR corps in 2024, and although Tank Dell is an undersized player, he played most of his snaps on the outside for Houston. Restrepo is also “undersized,” but at 190 pounds and with the heart of a lion, the Hurricanes’ WR thrives on physicality as a blocker and pass catcher. His shifty and manipulative route running will make him a dangerous third-down weapon, but he was also a downfield playmaker for Miami. His ability to freestyle when Ward was running around in the backfield makes him a quarterback’s best friend when the pocket collapses, and he adds value as a blocker in the run game.
Behind Joe Mixon, the Texans ground game falls flat. However, Devin Neal could be a valuable addition to split sets with as a 215-pount wide zone savant. The only thing keeping him from a higher selection is the Jayhwak’s wide-open offense that often allowed Neal not to have to think too hard about his landmarks. In each of the last three seasons, Neal tallied over 1,000 rushing yards, and was good for 1,200+ yards and 16 touchdowns the last two years.
As the Texans found out, wide receivers going down with injuries can leave your offense exposed. So shoring up with a guy like Jack Bech who totaled 1,034 yards in his first year as a starter is a no-brainer. He could complement their pieces well and act as the perfect insurance policy in case of injury.
He might not get extended runs with the Texans immediately, but Jaylin Smith could come in handy in spurts. For the Trojans, he had 58+ tackles the last two seasons and even added two interceptions this past year.
The best pass rush defense in the league could add another solid piece in Nazir Stackhouse. The Georgia product was around 30 tackles in each of the last three seasons, and would even record an occasional sack.
