B
Houston Texans
The Texans turned the phones into found money: B.
by jaytex ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Austin Barber at pick No. 59, a reach of 50 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
They did well to land Sonny Styles in the 28th pick, just ahead of his grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Good price on Olaivavega Ioane in slot 29, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
You do not let a tight end like Kenyon Sadiq reach the Round 2 slot and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Austin Barber at Round 2, Pick 27 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
By-the-book stuff, Mike Washington Jr. at pick No. 69 squarely in line with his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board had Logan Jones higher than pick 106, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. A need, and now a little less of one.
Bud Clark slid further than he should have, and slot 115 is lovely value for the safety. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Eric Rivers. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Thaddeus Dixon in pick 243 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.