Battle Red Blog Groupthink: Texans Trade Up or Down in Draft?

Houston has been a mover and shaker in the draft in the past, but can they do it again this year?

Before the NFL Draft officially kicks off this Thursday, I took a moment to ask the Battle Red Blog masthead to examine their thoughts on how Houston will approach the first round. The Texans possess the 25th pick in the NFL draft. General Manager Nick Caserio has been one of the most aggressive movers throughout the draft. He has move up more than any other GM in the NFL since he took over for the Texans in 2021.

With that, I’ve asked the following question to the writers to get a sense if they believe Caserio will make another move this Thursday:

It is draft week! Do you think the Texans should trade up for a top offensive line talent and use draft capital from this year and next or do you think they’d be better off trading back like last year?

l4blitzer:

I am not so sure that Houston should trade up. What they most need (interior offensive line) likely will be available late 1st/early 2nd. Do I necessarily expect Houston to stand pat on Nights 1 and 2? No, I don’t. A trade up or down wouldn’t shock me. Granted, if there is a talent they really, really want, and the price isn’t too exorbitant to pay, they should go for it. I think Caserio has bought some credibility on his trade results. Otherwise, I would be fine trading out of the 1st for more draft ammo, especially next season, as Houston will need greater value players once they gen up the extensions for Anderson and Stroud.

VBallRetired:

I like sticking where you are at. I think there’s enough talent there where you don’t have to make a panic move. This team has multiple offensive needs so they don’t HAVE to draft a lineman. Obviously, they know their draft board better than any of us, so if there is a guy there in the high teens or low twenties that’s vastly superior to everyone else then it’s okay to jump, but that’s not my personal read on this draft.

Patrick.H:

If our options are trading up or trading down and not just staying where we are, I think we ought to trade down just on principle alone. Trading down for more picks means more chances to nail a prospect, more darts at the board means a better chance of hitting the bullseye, you know? If staying where we are is an option I’m firmly in that camp unless Caserio is offered a deal that’s simply too good to pass up. It’s basic as hell, I know, but I’m a basic guy and this is not really the kind of draft where you’d take that big a swing on an offensive line prospect, from what I understand this has been a pretty weak OL class so it’s not really worth the moonshot.

Kenneth L.

It’s an intriguing question because I don’t imagine the Texans will stay at 25. They need to either go get a lineman who may not be available at 25 or accumulate draft capital to move around better. I think the Texans will move up with some of their 2026 draft capital. The second round pick next year acquired in the Laremy Tunsil trade with the Commanders could be used to acquire Kelvin Banks if he falls into the 20s. If multiple offensive lineman fall in the draft, then sure they can move back and still select a starting guard like Grey Zabel, Tyler Booker, or Donovan Jackson.

FizzyJoe

Even though I’d be getting antsy to trade up for a top-end tackle like Kelvin Banks if he were to start dropping, like I advocated for in the SB Nation Mock Draft, I think I’d rather see the Texans sit and wait at their current draft position. There’s a lot of good tackles and guard available this year, and there’ll certainly be a good one waiting at 25, whether it be Tyler Booker, Josh Conerly, or Donovan Jackson.

However, even though there will be options, the need for a good rookie lineman is so great that I wouldn’t want Houston to trade back, either. They need either a starter or someone that can play 500+ snaps in 2025, and the chances of them finding that by trading down will gradually dwindle. The potential for a run on the best lineman in the late first or early second round is high, so I wouldn’t want Houston to give up their spot in case pickings become slim early on.