B
Houston Texans
The Texans won the night they stopped Mondon Jr. from sliding. Grade: B.
by GMaster ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 4 reaches
When a board-topper like Smael Mondon Jr. slides to pick No. 167, you do not overthink it, and the Texans did not. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
They will need Griffith to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
Running back is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 31 they get a security blanket over the middle, and a steal at that.
A reach on Tate Ratledge in the Round 2 slot; the board had better options right there. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Donovan Jackson in the 66th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
A conviction pick on Cam Skattebo at pick No. 95 that the board grades a round light. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Circle this one: Jared Wilson at pick 127 is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid sticker price for Darius Alexander in slot 132, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Somehow Smael Mondon Jr. was still sitting there in the 167th overall pick, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They barely believed it either: Ricky White III still on the board at Round 7, Pick 25. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Thor Griffith in the Round 7 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.