Reading the tea leaves ahead of Thursday’s draft.
The Texans have completed 29 of the their allocated 30 “Top Visits”. These are in-person visits by the request of the team, but doesn’t represent their actual top prospects. Instead it’s the group Houston wants to understand more, meet in person, and conduct private workouts.
Whether the player took a top visit or convened earlier in the scouting process, the Texans will meet with a majority of their upcoming selections. This past year they met with Calen Bullock, Cade Stover, Kamari Lassiter, and Jamal Hill before the draft, so it’s safe to say Nick Caserio and Co. emphasize their player visits to an extreme.
Below is my analysis of their Top 30 Visits and the players they’ve brought into Houston. For a list of who all they’ve met with outside of the Top 30 Visits, here is a link to view those players. Below, I’ve also provided what round each of the players are projected to be drafted.
- They have not met with many pure interior offensive lineman, but there are reports they’ve met with Grey Zabel and Donovan Jackson who can move from tackle to guard. If they are going interior in the first round, they are keeping it close to the vest.
- Many of the tackles they’re looking into are developmental third and fourth-round picks.
- The defensive tackles they’ve met with are almost all exclusively second rounders.
- The tight ends they’ve met with are more athletic pass catching tight ends than in-line blockers.
- Texans could be going wide receiver early, or not at all; this class isn’t deep and the team needs impact players, not depth.
- A late cornerback selection may be in the cards to add depth behind Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr.
- No meetings with: quarterbacks, long snappers, or safeties (without some CB experience).
Wide Receivers
- Matthew Golden, Texas – round 1
- Kyle Williams, Washington State – round 2-3
- Tre Harris, Ole Miss – round 3
Offensive Tackles
- Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon – late round 1
- Charles Grant, William & Mary – round 3-4
- Luke Newman, Michigan State – round 7 or UDFA
- Chase Lundt, Connecticut – round 4
- Donovan Jackson, OSU – late round 1, early round 2
- Grey Zabel, North Dakota State – mid-late round 1 (not fully
- Aireaontae Ersery, Minnesota – early round 2
Defensive Tackles
- Kenneth Grant, Michigan – mid-round 1
- TJ Sanders, South Carolina – round 2
- Shemar Turner, Texas A&M – round 2-3
- Tyleik Williams, Ohio State – late round 1, early round 2
- Alfred Collins, Texas – round 2
- DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State – round 3-4
Defensive Ends
- Oluwafemi “Femi” Oladejo, UCLA – round 2
Tight Ends
- Elijah Arroyo, Miami – round 2
- Terrance Ferguson, Oregon – round 3
Running Backs
- RB Brashard Smith, SMU – round 4-6
- RB Jaydon Blue, Texas – round 3-5
- Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State – round 2
- Kaleb Johnson, Iowa – round 3
Cornerbacks:
- Shavon Revel, East Carolina – late round 1, early round 2
- Zion Childress, Kentucky – round 7 or UDFA
- Upton Stout, Western Kentucky – round 5-7
- Jaylin Smith, USC – round 5-7
Linebackers
- Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, USC – round 7 or UDFA
- LB Allen Walker, Jackson State – round 7 or UDFA