B+
Houston Texans
Grand theft in pick No. 124: the Texans steal Royals and grade out a B+.
by GMaster ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
When a board-topper like Jalen Royals slides to pick No. 124, you do not overthink it, and the Texans did not.
The cost of the West reach is exactly the players who went right after him. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
Steal is underselling it; Luther Burden III at the 49th overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Taking Malaki Starks in Round 2, Pick 26 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Aireontae Ersery reach slot 86 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Dylan Sampson in No. 89 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick 124 is the definition of value, full stop. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jared Wilson at the Round 4 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
A real head-scratcher, JJ Pegues in pick No. 167 is miles ahead of his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, CJ West well ahead of where he belonged. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Ricky White III in pick No. 243 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.