B-
Houston Texans
The Texans let Pearsall fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by K ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Ricky Pearsall, the No. 200 name on the board, stolen at pick No. 234.
The cost of the Taylor III reach is exactly the players who went right after him. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with running back the one that mattered most.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 28 they get a matchup problem out wide. The biggest hole, addressed.
They talked themselves into Leonard Taylor III at the Round 2 slot, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Braelon Allen in pick No. 90 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nice patience on Matt Goncalves, who had no business lasting to the 117th pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
By-the-book stuff, Mohamed Kamara at Round 4, Pick 28 squarely in line with his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jaylan Ford at the 154th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Somehow Ricky Pearsall was still sitting there in No. 234, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Reuben Fatheree II in slot 238. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.