B-
Houston Texans
The Texans kept it disciplined and banked a B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
The Texans bet big and early on Emmett Johnson, 49 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. That Fitzgerald pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Job largely done: running back settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 28 they get protection for the quarterback, though the board says they badly overpaid. A clean fit for the roster.
They paid sticker price for Emmanuel Pregnon in pick 38, and that is fine. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached a country mile for Emmett Johnson at slot 59, and the board is aghast. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board had Christen Miller higher than the 69th overall pick, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Bryce Lance at No. 106. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Bishop Fitzgerald is a better player than the Round 5 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They read the board right and Tim Keenan III was the payoff at pick No. 167. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Nice patience on TJ Hall, who had no business lasting to pick 243. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.