jaytex'S MOCK DRAFT

jaytex'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 12, 2026

JR-TEX-4

  • jaytex DRAFTING FOR THE
    Texans
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 28 RND: 1 (HOU)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (HOU)
Caleb Banks
DL Florida
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (HOU)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 59 RND: 2 (HOU)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (HOU)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Jonah Coleman Head Shot
PICK: 106 RND: 4 (HOU)
Jonah Coleman
RB Washington
Oscar Delp Head Shot
PICK: 141 RND: 5 (HOU)
Oscar Delp
TE Georgia
Demond Claiborne Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (HOU)
Demond Claiborne
RB Wake Forest
Caleb Douglas Head Shot
PICK: 167 RND: 5 (HOU)
Caleb Douglas
WR Texas Tech
Zavion Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (HOU)
Zavion Thomas
WR LSU
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 243 RND: 7 (HOU)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (KC)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Demond Claiborne Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (TB)
Demond Claiborne
RB Wake Forest
Zavion Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (TB)
Zavion Thomas
WR LSU
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (KC)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (KC)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Cade Stover
TE
Draft Grade — Texans
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB TradesA- FutureD+
The Texans kept it disciplined and banked a B-.

For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Texans walked out of the weekend still thin at edge rusher, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. More right than wrong, and a B- to match.

The Dixon value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The cost of the Claiborne reach is exactly the players who went right after him.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick28 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
In No. 28 they get a blindside protector, and a steal at that. A real need, handled.
Pick38 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
No edge and no loss on Caleb Banks in pick 38; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick40 Rnd2 Max Iheanachor
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Max Iheanachor. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick59 Rnd2 Jacob Rodriguez
Jacob Rodriguez at Round 2, Pick 27 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. It fills a real need, too.
Pick69 Rnd3 Jake Slaughter
They read the board right and Jake Slaughter was the payoff at the 69th pick. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick106 Rnd4 Jonah Coleman
Jonah Coleman in the Round 4 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick141 Rnd5 Oscar Delp
Oscar Delp at pick No. 141 is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick155 Rnd5 Demond Claiborne
A reach for Demond Claiborne in slot 155; a little patience would have been rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick167 Rnd5 Caleb Douglas
Caleb Douglas at the 167th pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick229 Rnd7 Zavion Thomas
Zavion Thomas in the Round 7 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick243 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
The board had Thaddeus Dixon higher than Round 7, Pick 27, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.