B-
Houston Texans
The Texans let Lew fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by RealTexanfan ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Connor Lew, the No. 84 name on the board, stolen at the 108th overall pick.
Stephens has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
A conviction pick on Malachi Lawrence at slot 38 that the board grades a round light. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Nice patience on D'Angelo Ponds, who had no business lasting to No. 59. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They read the board right and Jacob Rodriguez was the payoff at Round 2, Pick 30. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board had Jadarian Price higher than the 69th pick, and the running back fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Darrell Jackson Jr. at the 106th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Connor Lew at pick 108 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Beau Stephens at the Round 5 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Nothing to complain about; Kage Casey went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A reach for Eli Heidenreich in the 243rd overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.