D-
Houston Texans
The Texans lost the trade table, and the D- tells the story.
by Drane04 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 3 steals
· 7 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Texans reached some 39 spots for Xavier Thomas, and value like that does not grow back. A D- that will need time and luck to look better.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. Jordan falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They went 8 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
A rough weekend that leaves the roster with more questions than answers.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a cornerstone up front. A clean fit for the roster.
A tidy bit of business in the 32nd overall pick, where Keon Coleman graded well above the range. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Chop Robinson at pick No. 36 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Ja'Tavion Sanders at the 58th pick squarely in line with his ranking. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
T'Vondre Sweat in No. 63 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They took Edgerrin Cooper at par in pick 64, which is nothing to complain about. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They talked themselves into Zak Zinter at the Round 3 slot, and the board did not agree. It fills a real need, too.
Maason Smith at pick 89 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Not a spot anyone had flagged, which makes it a head-scratcher.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Kris Abrams-Draine well ahead of where he belonged. A minor itch, scratched.
A quiet steal in pick No. 92: Malachi Corley for less than the market said. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Audric Estime in the 95th pick is fair value, right on his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached a country mile for James Williams at Round 3, Pick 37, and the board is aghast. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Khyree Jackson. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Javon Foster in No. 123 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They went early on Jordan Travis in pick No. 126, and the value did not follow. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jaylan Ford in Round 5, Pick 27 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Xavier Thomas this early at the 239th pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board fumbled Jawhar Jordan all the way to No. 247, and they scooped it up. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.