Texans general manager Rick Smith (center) traded down in the second round with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire an extra third-round pick.
The Texans made three trades on the second day of the 2010 NFL Draft on Friday, including two in the second round.
First, the Texans sent the 51st pick in the second round to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' second- and third-round picks (62nd and 93rd overall).
Later, Houston exchanged its 62nd pick and fifth-round choice (150th overall) for the New England Patriots' 58th overall selection. The Texans used that pick to select Auburn running back Ben Tate.
When the dust settled on those two trades, the Texans had picked up an extra third-rounder (93rd) and given up a fifth-rounder (150th) to move back eight spots and draft Tate, a player they coveted.
After selecting Arizona defensive tackle Earl Mitchell 81st overall, the Texans traded the 93rd overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for a fourth- and fifth-round pick (102nd and 144th overall) in this year's draft. Houston now has two fourth-round picks, one fifth-round pick, two sixth-rounders and a seventh-rounder on Saturday.
Before Friday, the Texans had made nine draft-day trades in team history, including two under general manager Rick Smith.
The last time Smith traded during the draft was in 2008. The Texans ended up with left tackle Duane Brown (26th overall, first round), running back Steve Slaton (89th, third round) and safety Dominique Barber (173rd, sixth round) in exchange for giving the 18th pick in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens.
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