B
Houston Texans
Grand theft in pick No. 241: the Texans steal Mondon Jr. and grade out a B.
by Powerful ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The value of the weekend has a name and a slot: Smael Mondon Jr., slot 241, roughly 139 picks past where he belonged. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
The running back hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Every board in the league had Nwankpa lower, and that gap is the story.
Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered. Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a go-to option on the outside, outstanding value to boot. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Tyler Booker at the 58th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They will replay Tyler Warren at No. 89 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
DeMonte Capehart in the 126th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached a country mile for Xavier Nwankpa at Round 5, Pick 27, and the board is aghast. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Smael Mondon Jr. in pick No. 241, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.