Julio'S MOCK DRAFT

Texans

  • Julio DRAFTING FOR THE
    Texans
Draft Selections
Tetairoa McMillan Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (HOU)
Tetairoa McMillan
WR Arizona
Howard Cross III Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (HOU)
Howard Cross III
DT Notre Dame
Earnest Greene III Head Shot
PICK: 56 RND: 2 (HOU)
Earnest Greene III
OT Georgia
Nazir Stackhouse Head Shot
PICK: 88 RND: 3 (HOU)
Nazir Stackhouse
DT Georgia
Keon Sabb Head Shot
PICK: 120 RND: 4 (HOU)
Keon Sabb
S Alabama
Donovan Smith Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (HOU)
Donovan Smith
QB Houston
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 6 (HOU)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
J.J. Weaver Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 7 (HOU)
J.J. Weaver
LB-EDGE Kentucky
Draft Picks Received
Tetairoa McMillan Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (MIN)
Tetairoa McMillan
WR Arizona
Howard Cross III Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (LAC)
Howard Cross III
DT Notre Dame
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 6 (LAC)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LAC)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Tacario Davis Head Shot
PICK: 24 RND: 1 (MIN)
Tacario Davis
CB Arizona
Emeka Egbuka Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (LAC)
Emeka Egbuka
WR Ohio State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (MIA)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (MIA)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Noah Brown
WR
Head Shot
Robert Woods
WR
Draft Grade — Texans
Overall C+
ValueB NeedB+ TradesB- FutureD
Smith should have been long gone. The Texans pounced, and earned a C+.

When a board-topper like Donovan Smith slides to pick No. 155, you do not overthink it, and the Texans did not.

The Weaver pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up.

Spend now, pay later; the math only works if this class delivers.

In the end, a coin-flip class: fine today, with a wide range of outcomes ahead.

Pick Analysis
Pick9 Rnd1 Tetairoa McMillan
In slot 9 they get a No. 1 receiver. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick47 Rnd2 Howard Cross III
No edge and no loss on Howard Cross III in the Round 2 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick56 Rnd2 Earnest Greene III
Earnest Greene III at pick 56 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The roster fit checks out.
Pick88 Rnd3 Nazir Stackhouse
Nazir Stackhouse in the 88th overall pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick120 Rnd4 Keon Sabb
Keon Sabb is a better player than the 120th pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick155 Rnd5 Donovan Smith
They will replay Donovan Smith at pick No. 155 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick162 Rnd6 Riley Mahlman
They robbed the room for Riley Mahlman here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It fills a real need, too.
Pick216 Rnd7 J.J. Weaver
J.J. Weaver in Round 7, Pick 24 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.