Anyone looking at the Texans going into 2024 knows this is a franchise far from content finishing in second place. And no, not just second place in the AFC South.
The Texans are ready to jump from division winner to conference one. They were aggressive in free agency, securing talents like defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. They swapped picks for players, securing Pro Bowl talents Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs to better the offensive consistency.
Is that enough to place Houston alongside Kansas City and Baltimore atop the AFC rankings? For now, most national pundits have the Texans as a divisional-round playoff loser, meaning they’ll be picking between No. 24-No. 28 come next April in the 2025 NFL draft.
This isn’t a winner-or-go-home year for Nick Caserio and Co., but things will get expensive after 2024. Diggs and Nico Collins are entering contract seasons and could command top dollar on the market. Any breakout season from a one-year rental could lead to a departure elsewhere. Not to mention, players like Jalen Pitre, Christian Harris, Dameon Pierce and others will be entering the final year of their rookie deals.
Teams can build through free agency, but most want to see their foundations laid in the draft. Where does Houston turn in the first round following another promising season?
Here’s a list of every way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft listing where the Texans are projected to pick and the type of prospect they plan to target.