B
Houston Texans
The Texans robbed the room for Mondon Jr.. Final grade: B.
by Powerful ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
Somebody in pick 235 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Texans sat still while Smael Mondon Jr., the No. 105 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium.
They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
They went 3 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 19 they get a disruptive interior force. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Tate Ratledge at pick No. 53 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Nick Emmanwori in Round 3, Pick 20, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Taking Jake Majors in the Round 4 slot is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They will replay Dylan Fairchild at the 164th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. A need, and now a little less of one.
Smael Mondon Jr. at slot 235 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It fills a real need, too.