The Houston Texans won’t make a selection until Day 2 of the NFL draft after the team traded away its No. 23 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. While a trade back into the first round isn’t out of the question, the Texans will have to wait until the No. 42 pick before adding a new young player to their team.
There are a few different directions Houston can go down in the second round, which will be entirely dependent on how the draft board falls.
Defensive tackle is a huge need after Sheldon Rankins left in free agency and the Texans traded away Maliek Collins. Wide receiver is another option after the attempted trade for Keenan Allen. Cornerback remains an issue, too, despite the addition of two former 2020 first-round picks to pair with Derek Stingley.
The Athletic did a post-free agency mock draft and while the Texans didn’t trade into the first round, Houston did add a speedy wide receiver with the No. 42 pick for C.J. Stroud. The Texans drafted Oregon wideout Troy Franklin to play alongside Nico Collins and Tank Dell on offense.
From reporter Mike Jones:
“Arming Stroud with another weapon should rank among the Texans’ priorities. Franklin, who had 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior at Oregon, would give him another speedy receiver (4.41 40) who is a precise route runner and possesses good size at 6-2, 176”
Franklin and Dell would be an impressive 1-2 speed punch, while Collins proved to be one of the best receivers in the NFL in 2023. However, Franklin isn’t necessarily the type of receiver the Texans need for their offense.
When Houston tried to trade for Keenan Allen, it was reportedly that Texans were looking for a possession receiver in the mold of Allen who could catch passes in the middle of the field. That’s not necessarily Franklin’s skillset, although he was the best receiver left on the board after Adonai Mitchell and Ladd McConkey went earlier in the mock draft.
The Texans have a need a receiver, though, so the pick isn’t inherently a mistake. We’ll see which direction general manager Nick Caserio goes down in a little more than a month.