B-
Houston Texans
The Texans checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by Powerful ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 0 steals
· 6 reaches
Nobody else had De'Corian Clark anywhere near the 164th overall pick. The Texans did, by 36 spots, and that gap is the whole story. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want. The Texans indulged a want in Smith while a need in interior defensive lineman, offensive lineman and other spots stayed open.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
A reach for Chop Robinson in pick No. 23; a little patience would have been rewarded. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A straight-up fair deal on Edgerrin Cooper at the 59th pick, value and slot in agreement. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending pick 85 on Maason Smith with interior defensive lineman, offensive lineman and other spots unsolved.
Malik Mustapha in the Round 4 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jaheim Bell a notch or two before his time. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A real head-scratcher, De'Corian Clark in No. 164 is miles ahead of his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Carson Steele. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Tanner McLachlan at the Round 7 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.