B+
Houston Texans
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Texans and Mondon Jr.: B+.
by CristianTovar ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
When a board-topper like Smael Mondon Jr. slides to Round 5, Pick 28, you do not overthink it, and the Texans did not.
The Conner pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. The phones were where this weekend was really won. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Running back was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Nick Emmanwori in No. 26. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Tyler Warren in the 58th pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Tez Johnson. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They talked themselves into Hayden Conner at pick 95, and the board did not agree. It fills a real need, too.
They read the board right and Cam Skattebo was the payoff at Round 4, Pick 25. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Joshua Gray in the 164th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A linebacker of that caliber at the Round 5 slot is the definition of value, full stop. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Seth McLaughlin in pick No. 166, miles early. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached a country mile for Jamaree Caldwell at Round 7, Pick 25, and the board is aghast. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.