Houston Texans 2025 Draft: Grades For Each Pick

How did the Texans 2025 draft class grade out?

Like a flash, the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone. Chock full of trades, charades, and busted parlays, this draft will go down as being one of the weirdest in recent history. Only two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, were taken in the first round. Offensive and defensive linemen, the “hog mollies,” came off the board early, with five taken in the top ten picks and eleven taken in the top twenty. Late-round sleepers going went high, blue-chip players fell into the third round; you name it, it probably happened during the draft.

In similar fashion, the Houston Texans also had an extremely odd, unpredictable NFL Draft, packed with six trades and nine selections; each one zanier than the last. No draft manned by general manager Nick Caserio will ever be boring, that’s for sure! Now that all of us in the peanut gallery are left to sift through the rubble, I think it’s time to throw out some grades. Here’s my first impression, knee-jerk grades to all nine selections:

Round 2, Pick 34 Overall: WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

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• Height: 6’ 4”
• Weight: 214 lbs.
• Arm: 33 1/8”
• Hand: 9 1/8”
• Combine; 40-Yard Dash: 4.47s; 10-Yard Split: 1.53s; Vertical Jump: 39”; Broad Jump: 10’ 8”
• 2024 Statistics: 13 Games, 87 Receptions on 129 Targets (67.4 Rec%), 1,183 Yards (13.6 Y/R), 9 Receiving Touchdowns, 90.3 PFF

Iowa State’s most targeted receiver in 2024, Jayden Higgins was a big-body threat that had the speed to threaten at all levels of the opposing defense. He’s got an uncanny ability to track the ball and get his hands on it, even with cornerbacks draped all over him. Although, with as much speed as he has, he isn’t very creative with it and doesn’t gain much separation. But, with raw ability and production like this, you can’t blame Nick Caserio for taking a chance of Higgins.

You know, as I keep watching him, I start to understand why current Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was such a parroted comparison. Just like Collins when he was coming out of Michigan in 2021, Higgins is an attractive professional prospect because of his height, speed, and ball skills. Just like Collins, he ran a bit on an incomplete route tree and didn’t use his speed as much as you would have liked to have seen. And, just like Collins, I predict Jayden Higgins will master his weaknesses, become a true X receiver, and eventually become a starter for the Houston Texans.

Grade: A-

Round 2, 48th Overall: OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota

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• Height: 6’ 6”
• Weight: 331 lbs.
• Arm: 33 1/8”
• Hand: 9 1/2”
• Combine: 40-Yard Dash: 5.01s; 10-Yards Split: 1.75s; Vertical Jump: 29.5”; Broad Jump: 9’ 3”; Bench Press: 25 Reps
• 2024 Statistics: 691 Snaps at LT; 77.5 PFF (77.3 PBLK, 73.6 RBLK); 1 Sack; 1 Hit; 10 Hurries; 3 Penalties

Thank goodness they got an offensive lineman. During the draft itself, my live reaction to this was exaggerated relief after grumbling about the Jayden Higgins pick not being an offensive lineman. Now that time has passed, I’m pleased with Caserio’s decision making with these two second round selections; but I am admittedly uneasy about the variance in opinion on Ersery. Some draft analysts have Ersery rated as high as a first round pick, and others had him as low as a fourth rounder, so who’s to say what the Texans are getting?

Well, in my brief, extremely amateur review of him, I can say that we’re getting a massive, surprisingly athletic person fully capable of playing tackle at the NFL level. Ersery is strong against speed rushers (check out his Abdul Carter highlights), but his size doesn’t prevent him from being a quality blocker in space when clearing a path for the tailback. For being such a big lineman, he’s faster than expected, but he’s not as bendy as other NFL tackles, nor does he have that deadly first punch that so many top prospects do. That lack of elasticity could make him weak to NFL edge rushers with a bevy of counter moves, but since he was literally the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, I’m willing to bet on his upside. I’m more of a glass half-full type of guy, anyways, so I think Aireontae Ersery will eventually be a starting tackle for the Houston Texans. Which side he’ll be on, that’ll remain to be seen.

Grade: A

Round 3, 79th Overall: WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images

• Height: 5’ 10”
• Weight: 194 lbs.
• Arm: 29 1/2”
• Hand: 8 3/4”
• Combine: 40-Yard Dash: 4.39s; 10-Yard Split: 1.51s; Vertical Jump: 41.5”; Broad Jump: 11’ 2”; Bench Press: 23 Reps
• 2024 Statistics: 14 Games; 80 Receptions on 119 Targets (67.2 Rec%); 1,194 Yards; 14.9 Y/R; 8 Touchdowns; 9 Rushing Attempts for 38 Rushing Yards; 80.5 PFF

Another receiver from Ames is coming to Houston! During the lead up to the 2025 NFL Draft, two Iowa State wide receivers stood out as some of the best pass-catchers this year: Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. To most draft analysts, either of these players would be immediate contributors to an NFL offense. But now, Houston is getting both of them, reuniting one of the most prolific pass-catching duos in the Big 12.

Jaylin Noel is the speedy slot receiver that excels in using his footwork and ridiculous acceleration to get open. He ran an incredibly fast 4.39s 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and his speed on tape looks even faster! He has explosive separation and is willing to use that speed to cut through the middle of the defense and invite big hits; hits that I’m worried could become destabilizing in the NFL. He’s ultimately only 5’ 10”, 194 lbs., and like many other undersized college slot receivers, Noel didn’t break many tackles at all. It will only get harder to compensate for this weakness against superior NFL defenders, and coupled with a dropping issue, the transition to the NFL could be rocky. Noel is such a gifted receiver, though, with performances like he had against Kansas or Miami, I can see why the comparison of him to current Texans’ slot receiver Christian Kirk was so common. He’s a third down conversion waiting to happen, which is great news for a Texans offense that was in third-and-long nearly every other drive in 2024.

Allocating two top-100 picks to the receiving corps reveals Nick Caserio’s top priority entering this draft: not just getting more offensive weapons for Stroud, but getting receivers that can plug right into the spaces current Texans Nico Collins and Christian Kirk occupy. Injuries have marred this position group both years Stroud has been the NFL, and it looks like Caserio had had just about enough of that by drafting clones of their current starters. This is a great pick, but missing this opportunity to nab a developmental or even starting-caliber guard with this third round pick could haunt the Texans in the future.

Grade: B+

Round 3, 97th Overall: CB Jaylin Smith, USC

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

• Height: 5’ 10 1/2”
• Weight: 187 lbs.
• Arm: 29 7/8”
• Hand: 9 1/4”
• Combine: 40-Yard Dash: 4.45s; 10-Yard Split: 1.6s; Vertical Jump: 32.5”; Broad Jump: 10’ 2”; Bench Press: N/A
• 2024 Statistics: 10 Games; 59 Tackles, 4 Tackles for Loss; 2 Interceptions, 2 Pass Deflections; 82.5 PFF (80.1 RDEF, 71.2 TACK, 82.5 COV); 26 Receptions on 42 Targets (61.9 Rec%) 83 Yards after Catch, 62.5 Passer Rating Allowed

This was one of the stranger selections of Houston’s draft, where they elected to deepen their strength in the defensive backfield by drafting experienced cornerback/nickelback Jaylin Smith from USC. Smith spent time at both slot corner and outside while in college, and finished 2024 with third-team All-Big Ten honors, a big accolade considering he’s in the same conference as Will Johnson and Denzel Burke. In 2023 and 2022, he spent much of his time as a nickel cornerback, producing more tackles and tackles for loss but with worse coverage, overall. But, as a nickelback, he was a premier tackler, squaring up defenders large and small and dumping them when they stand. Check out some of his highlights from Colorado or San Jose State from back then and you’ll see how he just tears down opposing players with his physicality.

Then, in 2024, he added to his impressive utility belt of skills by becoming a significantly better coverage defender. Making the big move from nickelback to outside cornerback in his final year, Jaylin Smith somehow took it all in stride and became one of the stickiest man-coverage defenders in the Big Ten. I mean, his games against Michigan and Maryland were just eye candy; I can see why Nick Caserio wanted a skilled defender like this in the locker room. Regardless of where he was lining up on USC’s defense, he was still one of its most productive players.

Whether or not that production will translate in the NFL, however, has yet to be seen. Unfortunately, Jaylin Smith is a little undersized for the position in the NFL at 5’ 10 1/2” and 187 lbs. He’s also slow to react in zone-coverage, further limiting his potential production in the NFL. However, when in man coverage, Smith is sticky and disruptive, effective at mirroring his receiver and getting his hands in the way. In the box, Jaylin Smith has multiple years worth of beautiful tackling, with great instincts to boot. If he can improve his instincts and become a bit twitchier of an athlete, Houston has just found another quality defensive back. But, if not, Jaylin Smith will either be darling of the roster bubble/practice squad or potentially a superstar on special teams. Not a bad pick, but at this point, I was HURTING for a guard!

Grade: C+

Round 4, 116th Overall: RB Woody Marks, USC

• Height: 5’ 10”
• Weight: 207 lbs.
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.54s; 10-Yard Split: 1.57s; Vertical Jump: 35”
• 2024 Statistics: 12 Games, 198 Attempts for 1,133 Rushing Yards (5.7 YPA), 9 Rushing TDs, 47 Receptions for 321 Yards

This was one of my very favorite picks of the draft. Since Nick Caserio had dawned the cap of Houston Texans general manager in 2021, he’s done a nearly perfect job of retooling the entire offense around a new generation of players. He’s drafted starters at virtually every skill position on offense, except running back. Time is technically not quite up for 2022 draftee Dameon Pierce to break through, but Houston’s decision to bring in running back Joe Mixon in free agency has sidelined Pierce’s career as a Texan. Mixon became the starter in 2024, taking over starting duties from 2023 free agency signing Devin Singletary, who took lead-back duties from Pierce in the middle of that season. Suffice to say, Dameon Pierce has not quite lived up to his 2022 highs, and Caserio needs another win at RB in the draft. In 2025, he may have just his next star in Woody Marks.

Elusive and explosive are the defining characteristics of Woody Marks’ highlight reel. He finds the gap and blasts through it like few other tailbacks in this draft, but also contains the bendiness to make tacklers miss in space. He’s a danger in the receiving game, as well, making Marks a complete third-down scatback for the Texans’ updated offense. You throw Marks into the mix along with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and you’re bringing in a track meet of offensive skill-position players. This still isn’t the answer to the guard dilemma that I was personally looking for in the draft, but it is still a great pick at a position of need. Finally, the Texans have a third-down back! Although seeing as this was Houston’s last draft selection in the top half of the draft, this running back pick comes at the expense of finding a contributor at guard for the 2025 season. But, at this point, I’m ready to just throw my faith behind Nick Caserio and embrace the wave of skill-position players he’s chosen to draft instead.

Grade: B+

Round 6, 187th Overall: S Jaylen Reed, Penn State

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• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 211 lbs.
• Arm: 30 3/8”
• Hand: 9”
• Combine: 40-Yard Dash: 4.49s; 10-Yard Split: 1.51s; Vertical Jump: 33.5”; Broad Jump: N/A; Bench Press: 19 Reps
• 2024 Statistics: 16 Games; 98 Tackles; 7 Tackles for Loss; 2.5 Sacks; 3 Interceptions; 1 Defensive Touchdown; 3 Pass Deflections; 1 Forced Fumble; 1 Fumble Recovery; 65.6 PFF (80.5 RDEF, 71.7 TACK, 90.9 PRSH, 51.2 COV)

Here’s a late-round sleeper! Jaylen Reed was an instinctive, aggressive, and extremely productive, primarily box safety that played all over the field for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Reed does a fantastic job of reading the quarterback, disguising his intentions on defense, and blasting through the line of scrimmage on blitz packages to make big tackles in the backfield. He’s only 6’0” 213 lbs., but with the violence he attacks opposing players and consistency he has at getting them on the ground, you’d think he’s 6’ 2” 230 lbs.

In his last year as a starting safety for Penn State, Reed was one of the most productive defenders on the team, flourishing under defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s “Lion” position, not unlike current Texans player Jalen Pitre’s “Star” position at Baylor in college. He was selected second-team All-Big Ten in 2024 and led the team in tackles, a tremendous feat considering Abdul Carter and Kobe King were on the field with him at the same time. But, even though those instincts led to some game-changing plays (like the pick six against Wisconsin), it also led to some terrible mistaken reads where he was caught red-handed shooting down the wrong gap or in blown coverage.

Here’s what Colin_Murphy of Black Shoe Diaries had to say about Reed:

While he was not overly flashy in his Penn State career, Reed is solid against the run and very physical. His pass coverage improved in his final year at Penn State. Reed’s adaptability in Penn State’s defensive schemes between the free safety and hybrid position (the “Lion”) highlighted his versatility against the run and the pass. His lack of any standout traits probably limits his ceiling as a Day 2 pick, but he is likely to develop into at least a serviceable NFL backup. He should be an immediate contributor on special teams for any NFL team. – Colin_Murphy, Black Shoe Diaries

In 2025, Jaylen Reed should make for a great insurance policy to current Texans starter Jalen Pitre. Add Jaylin Smith to that backfield, and you have a room full of talented Jalen/Jaylin/Jaylens ready to play nickel!

Grade: B+

Round 6, 197th Overall: QB Graham Mertz, Florida

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 212 lbs.
• Arm: 31 1/4”
• Hand: 9 3/4”
• Combine: N/A
• 2024 Statistics: 5 Games; 72 Completions on 94 Attempts (76.6%); 791 Yards; 6 Touchdowns; 2 Interceptions; 8.73 AY/A; 73.7 PFF (Season cut short due to ACL tear)
• 2023 Statistics: 11 Games; 261 Completions on 358 Attempts (72.9%); 2,903 Yards; 20 Touchdowns; 3 Interceptions; 8.85 AY/A; 75.8 PFF

This might be the weirdest pick of Houston’s draft. Not a selection based on talent nor positional need, Caserio’s selection of Graham Mertz can only be described as a shot in the dark in hopes of landing a bullseye of a backup quarterback. Mertz is a prototypical NFL QB that has gradually improved in his career as a game manager, but never became the multi-faceted playmaker that his first team, Wisconsin, hoped he would become. After four largely disappointing years, he packed his bags and went down to Florida, where he would have his peak in 2023, followed by a 2024 season curtailed by a torn ACL.

In 2023, in his fifth year as a starting quarterback in college football, Mertz finally looked like he was putting it all together. Significantly more comfortable and decisive with the ball in 2023, Mertz completed 72.9% of his passes for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns, three interceptions and four rushing touchdowns. He’s got prototypical NFL size and moderate arm strength, but he’s not going to wow you with his athleticism. He improved his decision making with the Gators and became a much more trustworthy passer, but he can still be slow with his progression, letting defenders get back into a play. Problems like that could send him out of the league in a hurry, but his improvement when given a better supporting cast was intriguing enough for Caserio to pull the trigger, He would go on to say of Mertz:

“Got a lot of playing experience, had some success at Wisconsin, then kind of went through the coaching transition there a little bit, and he felt like the best opportunity for him was at Florida. Then he played there his first year, he got hurt a little bit, obviously, this year. But, good demeanor, good presence. Has good leadership, good size, throws a pretty good ball. So, the type of player the we felt had some traits and characteristics at that position that we wanted to work with….we had him here in the building, and he was as advertised.” – Nick Caserio

Overall, the decision to draft Mertz, an experienced college quarterback with standard NFL traits at the position, isn’t a bad one since it’ll give the Texans more freedom to pivot away from current backup Davis Mills. I even mentioned on the BRB writer group chat that I wouldn’t mind Houston taking a quarterback in the later rounds since Mills will enter the 2025 season on the last year of his contract. But, the drop off in quality even from the sixth to seventh rounds was noticeable, so I think Houston’s seventh round pick could have been better used on an offensive lineman or linebacker. If Caserio really thought Mertz was that good, he could have either waited to sign him as an undrafted free agent or grabbed an additional seventh round pick by trading some late-round selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Grade: C

Round 7, 224th Overall: DT Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 300 lbs.
• Arm: 32.130
• Hand: 9.250
• Measurables: 40-Yard Dash: 5.02s; 20-Yard Split: 2.87s; 10-Yard Split: 1.70s; Vertical Jump: 29”
• 2024 Statistics: 13 Games; 36 Tackles; 5 Tackles for loss; 4.0 Sacks; 18 Hurries; 1 Forced Fumble; 649 Defensive Snaps (272 RDEF, 376 PRSH), 81.3 PFF (74.9 RDEF, 79.6 PRSH)

This is the one player Nick Caserio took in the 2025 NFL Draft I had never heard of before. All the other players I had at least heard of on a telecast or seen a stat line about them at some point, but Kyonte Hamilton evaded my drafting eye. So, since the draft, I’ve dug through as many highlight videos and draft-analysis articles I could find on Hamilton, and I’ve come out of the quick film session a bit more impressed with Caserio’s selection than I expected.

Hamilton has the prototypical size and weight to be an NFL defensive tackle, and contains a level of quickness in his step that makes him an intriguing player. A 3-star prospect out of District Heights, MD, Hamilton absorbed the attention of football scouts who were also impressed by his championship wrestling pedigree. He became a three-year starter on the defensive line for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, having a breakout career in 2024 and earning honorable All-Big Ten recognition. He lined up both at tackle and defensive end, getting production from both positions. He plays with impressive short-area burst, but lacks the skillset required to win consistently in the NFL. He’s a very, very raw prospect, one that may not be able to keep up with the rest of the roster, but I can’t help but root for him since he reminds me of one of Caserio’s last draft selections last year: Auburn DL Marcus Harris.

It was this time last year that I was pumping up the pro-potential of Harris, and now Kyonte Hamilton will occupy a similar sort of space as a long-shot candidate as we await training camp. While we never saw Marcus Harris in the regular season, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he was a bust. Some players may take time to develop, only reaching their high ceiling with years as a backup. Kyonte Hamilton may be the that kind of prospect, one that will never steal the headlines or play 500+ snaps, but will enjoy a multi-year career as a solid rotational player for the Texans. Maybe, just maybe, both Kyonte Hamilton and Marcus Harris will be starting games and taking names together in 2027! Or…maybe not, but you can’t blame Nick Caserio for taking a chance on an big, athletic wrestler in the seventh round.

Grade: B-

Round 7, 255th Overall: TE Luke Lachey, Iowa

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• Height: 6’ 6”
• Weight: 251 lbs.
• Arm: 32 1/8”
• Hand: 10”
• Combine: Vertical Jump: 35”; Broad Jump: 10’; 3-Cone Drill: 7.18s; 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.47s
• 2024 Statistics: 12 Games, 28 Receptions for 231 Yards (8.3 Y/R), 530 Offense Snaps, 316 Blocking Snaps, 51.3 PFF Run Blocking, 50.1 PFF Pass Blocking, 95.2 EFF

An Iowa tight end falling this far was an surprise all unto its own, as Luke Lachey was seen as a late round sleeper by many. While in college, Lachey continued the Iowa tradition of inline tight end blocking, becoming an effective people mover for their outside-zone scheme. Additionally, he’s shown some position flexibility as an H-back and flashes of a better receiver than the chances he was given, but his lack of speed and physicality in that respect holds him back from being a real slam-dunk prospect. He’s a natural receiver with a good catch radius, but his lack of speed gives him a ceiling, with little room besides being a short yardage target underneath the passing game.

That ceiling can be seen in his blocking, as well. Though Lachey is strong, he doesn’t have quite the core strength to go one-on-one against all types of linebackers and edge rushers. The body size willingness to block is certainly there, but his production against bigger defenders isn’t great, at least not without some help. But, in an league where two-tight end sets are becoming increasingly more common, having another guy in the locker room that can block and catch can be invaluable to a Texans offense clearly trying to give its quarterback a diversity of options. As a guy with a chance to make the roster and contribute sparingly, he’s about as good of a pick you can ask for in the seventh round.

Grade: A-

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After all this picks and trades that kept Houston Texans fans’ heads on a swivel, head coach DeMeco Ryans ended up with these nine rookies – six on offense, three on defense. These picks addressed big needs at tackle, wide receiver, running back, and defensive tackle, but avoided the need for another guard or linebacker. Caserio did sign a linebacker in undrafted free agency – Louisiana’s KC Ossai – but it’s a heck of a stretch to say that one signing “addressed the need.”

Regardless, Caserio did a great job of finding value at all talent levels of the 2025 Draft, unearthing potential starters from the second round to the seventh. Both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel should be immediate contributors, maybe even starters by the end of the year. Aireontae Ersery, although a controversial wad of clay, is a wad of clay that I’m going to embrace and predict as a starter for Houston either on the right or left side come 2026.

Jaylin Smith and Jaylen Reed probably won’t be starting on Houston’s defense anytime soon, but they’ll certainly be seeing playing time on multiple nickel and dime packages – Reed likely designed for plays against the runs, Smith designed for plays against the pass. Hamilton, on the other hand, won’t be playing much until he shocks the team in training camp, but that may not be a big surprise in a couple years! Overall, this draft class won’t knock your socks off, but it will function to deepen the Houston Texans roster from end to end. I’d say we’re looking at two to four starters in this class (Higgins, Ersery, Noel, & Marks), with the potential that all nine will be helping by the end of the year. No players are going to dramatically improve a weak spot on the Texans (except maybe Ersery), but some will prove their worth when injuries inevitably afflict the team, and some will eventually become starters as those snaps come rolling in.

HOUSTON TEXANS 2025 NFL DRAFT GRADE: B

What do you think of this draft, though? Did the DeMeco Ryans/Nick Caserio brain trust blow you away, or were you bummed out by their draft picks? Are Houston’s draft classes getting better each subsequent year, or worse? Let us know what you think of the draft down the comments below!

Go Texans!