Nick Caserio has never been afraid to listen.
The Houston Texans’ general manager, who is entering his second year with the team, told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] Tuesday that the organization is open to trading the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
“Absolutely. Always open for business,” Caserio said.
However, Caserio clarified that the Texans wouldn’t be moving the pick just for the sake of making a trade in the draft. There were a number of factors that would have to come into play if they were to move away from No. 3 overall and further into the draft.
“I think we’ve always been a little more open minded, progressively thinking, move up and down,” said Caserio. “It’s not just move to move. And I think trades specific to the draft are always driven by A) player availability, B) where are you moving, what are you moving away from, and then C) what are you getting in return in terms of assets that could potentially fill out the rest of your team?”
The draft’s two dominant edge rushers in Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson have been linked to the Texans, but the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions may take those players in successive order before Houston is on the clock.
The draft is April 28-30 in Las Vegas. Plenty can happen in four months.
Said Caserio: “We’re rolling up our sleeves right now going through that draft process. I’d say there’s a number of good players that would be available that we think will be available. But, again, we’re open for business on anything. I think that’s the one thing about this organization of what people, I would say, around the league know about me is that we’re not afraid. We’ll always listen and we’ll always consider. And then we’ll take the information in, process it, and ultimately try to make the decision we feel is best for our team.”
The Texans finished 4-13. With a fuller cupboard of draft picks, including four in the top-100, Houston is in a position to complete the rebuild and get back to playing competitively in 2022. A good draft would help the process.
