The first round concluded without the Texans moving back up into the back end of the first round to make a pick. Sitting at No. 42, the Texans couldn't have had a better night, though. Why?
- Six QBs
- Eight OTs
- Seven WRs
21 players went off the board at positions in which the Texans have talent and depth already. Plus, even more important, the players that I had on my Top 32 board that didn't get selected in the first round are players at positions that were largely discussed as needs for the Texans.
Here's the second round draft order after night one's activities, leading to the Texans first pick of the Draft on Friday night.
- 33 - Buffalo Bills - potential needs: WR, edge rusher, OL, secondary
- 34 - New England Patriots - potential needs: OL, WR, DL
- 35 - Arizona Cardinals - potential needs: CB, IOL
- 36 - Washington Commanders - potential needs: OT, secondary, edge
- 37 - Los Angeles Chargers - potential needs: WR, DT, IOL, CB
- 38 - Tennessee Titans - potential needs: OT, WR, IDL
- 39 - Carolina Panthers - potential needs: Another WR, CB, LB
- 40 - Washington Commanders - potential needs: OT, secondary, edge
- 41 - Green Bay Packers - potential needs: S, CB, LB, IOL
- 42 - Houston Texans - potential needs: DT, CB, WR, RB
So, that's what sits in front of the Texans right now, but with the names still left on the board, there are going to be some phone calls made to the Bills, the Patriots and the Commanders to trade up for a key player still left on the board. So, what does it look like for the Texans? Let's dive into the best available in my Harris 100.
21 - CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
From my scouting report…master clinic footwork and prototype length and cover skills. Smart. Feisty. Outstanding football IQ, but I love to see him in press coverage work his feet the way that he does.
- Match and mirror skills because of…
- …outstanding feet!
- Tough and long
- Ran in phase with some of the fastest receivers in CFB
- Jones fracture in his foot, should be ready for Training Camp
25 - IDL Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
From my scouting report…Newton's built like a tank, but plays like he's a Lamborghini. Not as physical as I expected, but damn, that quickness and speed at THAT size? Whoa. Some people love Newton and I see the traits for sure.
- Agility and twitch
- Impact the game from nose to 5-tech
- The best interior pass game rusher/impact player
- Quick laterally.
- Injury to repair a Jones fracture in his foot in January
26 - CB/S/Nickel Cooper DeJean, Iowa
From my scouting report…he's got athleticism and instincts for days but he's still, admittedly, raw at cornerback. That said, he adapted well when asked to move there and will get even better too. He can play every position in the secondary…and play them all well.
- Versatile
- Springy and athletic
- CB or S?
- Didn't finish the year, so missed out on CB reps that he needed
- Great ball skills and gamer qualities
29 - IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
From my scouting report…there's some Creed Humphrey in his game. Shorter arms but powerful and agile and down in Mobile, he put on a freakin' show. His feet, for a guy 330 lb or so, are beautiful. I do think he'll stop those feet on occasion when he's trying to hold the point of the block and that causes DL to fall off the block easier, but that doesn't happen too often.
- Recovery ability is top notch - he's never beaten on a play.
- Pop in his hands, but doesn't drive guys off the ball
- Thick build and great feet
- 12 year starter in this league at center
31 - IDL Braden Fiske, Florida State (Western Michigan)
From my scouting report…he's strong and quick and the perfect fit in even fronts/wide nine fronts. He doesn't have great length, in fact he has short arms, but is immensely powerful with his hands. He works like a grinder but has an athletic build with much better than expected athleticism. I LOVE his potential. He plays with GREAT technique and strength.
- Athletic build
- Twitchy and quick off the ball
- Relentless pursuit on ALL plays
- Was working on pass rush moves all week in Mobile.
- Pass rush moves need even more work, but could be an issue when he lands a few
32 - WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas (Georgia)
From my scouting report…he's fit in about as well as he possibly could at Texas. He's shown the ball tracking skills and hands that were always present, but never really had a chance to flourish in Georgia's offense in 2021-2022. He made downfield catches routinely in his one season in Austin. What he possesses that I wasn't sure about was speed. My goodness - 4.34 in the 40-yard dash. I mean, WHAT?!? I just didn't think he was THAT fast. He's got the complete package.
- Size, speed and big play production
- Go-to WR for Texas down the stretch of the Sugar Bowl
- 4.34 speed. What?!?
- Love his deep ball tracking skills and ball concentration
33 - WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
From my scouting report…there hasn't been one time where McConkey didn't disappoint on film the past two years. Dude can absolutely FLY. He's reliable as all get out in every area on the field. He was Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck's go-to guy on the perimeter. Catch-and-run. Deep ball threat. Creates tremendous separation.
- Speed
- Refined route runner
- Versatile - slot or perimeter
- Kick/punt returner possibilities
- Sudden in, and out, of route breaks
- Big play creator
34 - S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
From my scouting report…Size, speed, everything that's good in a safety, Nubin has it. He plays the game under control and strikes like a cobra when he arrives at the football. Fluid and smooth, he's a safety who erases a TON of mistakes for that Minnesota defense. He saved many, MANY potential touchdowns with his open field stops throughout the year.
- Range
- Ball skills for days
- Prototype safety size
- Smart
- Can play low as a linebacker force type and deep in the middle of the field.
- Physical presence when he arrives for tackles
37 - OC Zach Frazier, West Virginia
From my scouting report…Frazier is the epitome of a fighter. He finished his HS career as a four time HS wrestling state champion. I LOVE those guys. Leverage winners. They know how to win a one-on-one fight, no matter the predicament they're in at the moment. He has torque strength for days, but relies on that instead of his feet on occasion. He can truly be effective in a gap/power scheme. Love his pad level. Super quick laterally to transition from one rusher to blitzer in pass protection. I don't know how many defensive linemen I've seen try to snatch him, yank him, pull him and nothing…nada. They don't move him. He has such good balance and STRONG hands that once Frazier gets those meat hooks on a defender, it's done. He doesn't lose that latch at all.
- Wrestling background is HIGHLY evident in his game
- Leverage winner on every run down.
- Not fleetest of foot, but not slow
- Leadership qualities for days
39 - LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
From my scouting report…Cooper is a bit more agile and cerebral on the field but from point A to point B, I'm not sure that there's a faster, more explosive linebacker in the SEC. Again, he's 220 lb., so he's not going to be on draft boards of certain teams, but the ones that'll keep him on their boards will love him. It's often said a linebacker goes sideline to sideline, but Cooper is the epitome of that and proves it every time he's on the field.
- Speed defines his game
- Instincts kicked in during 2023 season
- Terrific spy candidate
- Closing speed on ball carriers is most impressive aspect of his game
- Still needs work as a complete, tackler
- Will need work as a robot linebacker on over routes
- Light but fearless
41 - LB Junior Colson, Michigan
From my scouting report…Big, fast and physical is certainly one way to go through life and Colson is all of those to a T. It's a simple formula, seemingly. He can flat out get it. He's got all of the linebacker assets - speed, power, explosiveness, twitch - he's got 'em in spades. He'll take on blocks more so than any other LB in this class and make a play out of it. He's not a run around blocks sort of backer.
- Height, weight, speed
- Toughness
- Take on linebacker, doesn't run around blocks
- Three down linebacker with versatility to do a number of things
- Spy candidate on mobile quarterbacks
42 - S Jaden Hicks, Washington State
From my scouting report…smooth and fluid, he changes direction extremely well. He seems to glide explosively to the ball. He has an easy acceleration but he's closing in a hurry. He possesses more than adequate closing speed on ball carriers. He has to come under control sooner so he doesn't overrun tackles as I've seen him do that a few times in the 2023 season.
- Prototype size
- Closing speed
- Will drop the physical hammer for sure
- Needs to have better linebacker understanding when he's in the box
- As athletic as any safety in this, and any other, draft class
43 - WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (Michigan State)
From my scouting report…I don't think that he gets a ton of separation on his routes, but he's not uncomfortable wearing DBs as he's going up for a catch anywhere on the field. Trying to cover him in the end zone is going to be a nightmare, though, for any size DBs. He rebounds the ball well, if you catch my drift.
- "Moss'd", climbs the ladder over the top of DBs
- Explosive, twitchy athletic type
- Route running polish is needed
- Height, weight, speed prospect
I didn't plan it this way, but I could see each, and every, one of those prospects above being in the mix at No. 42. That's how great a night it was for the Texans on Thursday night. The five players that I had in my top 32 that fell out of the first round…
CB
DL
CB/S/Nickel
IOL
WR
