Houston Texans 2025 NFL Draft Grades
The Houston Texans' 2025 NFL Draft strategy focused on bolstering their offensive lineup, with significant trades and strategic player selections. They secured a future first-round pick from the New York Giants, which is expected to benefit them in the upcoming richer draft class. Key additions include Iowa State wideouts to enhance their passing game, and an athletic offensive tackle, Aireontae Ersery, to fortify their line. Further strategic moves include picking versatile players such as Woody Marks, who can contribute both as a runner and receiver, and acquiring young talent like Jaylin Smith for defensive depth. Despite lacking flashy selections, the Texans' draft was deemed successful, with potential long-term benefits from their trade decisions.
Houston Texans prioritized their offensive strategy in the 2025 NFL Draft, notably by trading down to acquire a 2026 first-round pick from the New York Giants, setting themselves up for future opportunities.
The team focused on enhancing their receiving corps by selecting two productive wide receivers from Iowa State, aiming to provide a reliable WR2 to complement Nico Collins.
Aireontae Ersery, an athletic offensive tackle from the Big Ten, was added to strengthen the Texans' offensive line, reflecting a strategic investment in protecting their quarterback.
Woody Marks, known for his dual-threat capabilities as a running back and receiver, was selected to diversify the Texans' offensive options and relieve veteran Joe Mixon.
The draft also saw the Texans acquiring Jaylin Smith and Jaylen Reed, aiming to build depth in their roster, with Smith being a cornerback and Reed offering potential as a late-round selection.
Despite not making any selections on the first day of the draft, GM Nick Caserio's patience is expected to pay off with the Texans now holding two first-round picks for the next year.
The overall assessment of the Texans' draft choices was positive, with analysts acknowledging the strategic foresight in trades and selections, positioning the team for future growth.
The NFL Draft is over, and the Houston Texans made multiple new additions, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. How do NFL analysts see the Texans' draft playing out? Here are grades from around the NFL mediasphere.
Eric Froton, NBC Sports: B"Houston banked a 2026 1st from the Giants to move from 25-to-34, which was an unconditional victory. They revamped their passing attack by targeting a pair of hyper-productive Iowa State wideouts in search of a dependable WR2 which they desperately need opposite Nico Collins. Ersery is a massive OT who has Christian Darrisaw-lite vibes at #48, and all-purpose RB Woody Marks should be able to carve out some of the passing down work from aging vet Joe Mixon. Jaylin Smith had a nice season at USC while Jaylen Reed is a totally reasonable shot at #187. While it’s not a particularly eye-popping draft class due to the trade-down, the Texans played their hand well and will benefit from their trade down in 2026."
Chad Reuter, NFL Media: A-"The Texans did well to add two more Iowa State Cyclones to their receivers room, with Higgins and Noel joining former teammate Xavier Hutchinson to support C.J. Stroud. I thought they might take Ersery in the first round, so the trade up for him in Round 2 made sense to me, as did the swap that led to the acquisition of the versatile and tough Smith in Round 3. Marks is not just a strong runner but can be another target for Stroud as a receiver. We'll see if patience would have been wiser than giving up a third-round pick next year to move into Round 4 for him. Mertz has some positive attributes but was inconsistent and suffered injuries in college. Hamilton meets a need for young depth at tackle. Lachey lost a step due to injury but could prove to have been a steal in the seventh."
Rob Rang, Fox Sports: B+"Sure, it was frustrating for Texans fans to watch the first day of the draft come and go without a pick being made, but GM Nick Caserio's patience will be rewarded next year with Houston now owning two first-round selections in a class expected to be much richer than this one. And let's be real — that 2026 New York Giants pick could be a high one. Even better, Caserio put together an intriguing class this year, filling the need for an athletic tackle with the Big Ten's blocker of the year in Aireontae Ersery and adding former Iowa State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the second and third rounds, respectively. Polar opposites in style, the duo offer size, speed and reliable hands, greatly improving Houston's depth at receiver. The Texans added another duo of college teammates in cornerback Jaylin Smith and Woody Marks (both from USC), with the latter arguably the best receiving back of this class."
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