Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio made it clear he does not care about draft class grades following the selection of Mr. Irrevelant.
You are also not the man who drafted both the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year last season and had to listen to national media heads bug out about trading up for Will Anderson Jr. in what was supposed to be a “rebuilding year.”
Everyone is going to have an opinion on the nine new faces added to the Texans’ locker room. Fans will care. Media members will care. Heck, even position coaches care enough to talk about the latest newbies joining the squad.
It’s natural to have an opinion on the draft and the selections. It means nothing, kinda like playing a game of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” or that one pinball game attached to every computer in the early 2000s. Yes, you’re intrigued, but whatever’s about to happen is out of your control.
Houston, which built its roster through free agency, still landed a handful of potential starters. Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter should earn first-team reps in the nickel or opposite fellow SEC alum Derek Stingley Jr. at cornerback. Calen Bullock will push to start at safety. Sixth-round pick Jawhar Jordan might have a home in the return game come Week 1.
Most of the roster was ready to win before the draft. The dozen-plus (including undrafted free agents) are just an added bonus.
Here’s what the national media thought of Houston’s draft class entering a quiet Sunday morning.
ESPN: B+
From Mel Kiper Jr.:
For a team without a first-round pick — the Texans traded theirs to the Vikings in March in a deal that saw them add a 2025 second-rounder, among other selections — Houston had a nice Friday. It filled a void at cornerback with Kamari Lassiter (42), who might have been a first-rounder if he was a little faster. He consistently locked down corners at Georgia and allowed 2.8 yards per attempt as a primary defender in coverage last season, which ranked third in the FBS. Offensive tackle Blake Fisher (59) had a chance to be a first-rounder in 2025 if he had returned to Notre Dame. As the Fighting Irish’s right tackle the past two seasons, he was a little inconsistent, but the tools are there to be an NFL starter.
The Texans used their extra fourth-rounder to move up in Round 3 to take safety Calen Bullock(78), who had nine interceptions in college and who can play as a center fielder in the NFL. Houston ranked 29th in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.7) last season, so this fits a need area. Tight end Cade Stover (123) made my favorites list; he has flown under the radar but has soft hands and can find open spots in coverage.
Houston GM Nick Caserio pulled off a solid, if unspectacular, class for what he had to work with this weekend.
USA Today: B+
From Nate Davis:
It’s a really difficult draft to parse in a big-picture way. They used their first-rounder to get DE Will Anderson Jr. last year, and he wound up as the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. They sent their final first-rounder from Cleveland in the Deshaun Watson offload to Minnesota for, in part, two second-rounders – one of those already used to obtain WR Stefon Diggs from Buffalo, who’s now on a one-year deal. From a draft acquisition perspective, GM Nick Caserio continued resourcing a 23rd-ranked pass defense with second-round CB Kamari Lassiter (Georgia) and third-round DB Calen Bullock (USC) – though questions linger regarding whether either is up to the job. Round 2 OT Blake Fisher (Notre Dame) could push to play on the right side by Week 1, but C.J. Stroud insurance is a good idea in any case.
NFL.com: A-
From NFL.com’s Chad Reuter:
Houston built on the momentum from last season’s playoff run with a strong 2024 draft plan. The pre-draft trade with Minnesota to move out of the No. 23 overall slot — and out of Round 1 entirely — netted the Texans a 2025 second-rounder and didn’t prevent them from addressing a roster sore spot with Lassiter. The Vikings used their original second-round pick on Fisher, who still needs more polish to his game. Time will tell whether Bullock was the right pick over the numerous other safeties still on the board.
Stover was an excellent choice in Round 4. He’ll be reunited with C.J. Stroud, who frequently leaned on the tight end on third downs when the two were teammates at Ohio State. Hill should be a special teams demon. Acquiring veteran running back Joe Mixon for a seventh-round pick earlier this offseason also factors into the grade above.
Sports Illustrated: B-
From Matt Verderame:
After spending lavishly in free agency and then adding star receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with Buffalo, the Texans prioritized their secondary in the first three rounds. Houston nabbed both Lassiter and Bullock, adding them to a group already boasting Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre. Fisher is also an intriguing pick, with Tytus Howard perhaps ready to move inside.
Washington Post: C+
From: Mark Maske:
The Texans lacked a first-rounder but did manage to make a few potentially useful picks as they try to build on last season’s success and take the next step to becoming a viable contender. They helped their secondary with second-round cornerback Kamari Lassiter and third-round safety Calen Bullock. They also added a second-round offensive tackle, Blake Fisher.
CBS Sports: B+
From Chris Trapasso:
Nothing incredibly flashy here from GM Nick Caserio, but the flash came earlier this offseason, didn’t it? Lassiter is your classic, well-coached Georgia cornerback. Fisher is a tremendous combo blocker and Bullock has ridiculous middle-of-the-field range.
Stover will be a useful tight end for a decade. The next few picks after that were questionable, but I am fascinated to see if Byrd plays as athletically as he looked on the field or to his epically bad workout.
Pro Football Focus: B+
From PFF:
Lassiter — The cornerback run continues. Lassiter is a savvy cornerback who started on the outside in each of the last two seasons for Georgia, grading out in the 68th percentile in PFF coverage grade since 2022. It’s another dart throw at cornerback for Houston, who also brought in Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson to compete for a spot across from Derek Stingley Jr.
Fisher — Notre Dame‘s Blake Fisher is a sturdy right tackle who provides the Texans some depth up front. He’s not flashy, but he has proven to be consistent. Fisher has posted 72.9 and 71.1 overall PFF grades over the past two seasons. Whether he starts immediately or within the next couple of years, Fisher provides further stability to Houston‘s offensive line, even if he isn’t the flashiest pick.
Bullock — A versatile and athletic safety prospect out of USC, Bullock has the range to be a difference-maker on the back end. He racked up seven interceptions and 11 forced incompletions over the past two seasons, but his play strength and tackling issues make him a bit of a project, albeit one with a solid ceiling.
Stover — Houston adds a quality receiving threat at tight end in Stover. Since 2022, his 982 receiving yards and 45 first downs led all Big Ten tight ends. He also produced a fantastic 138.2 passer rating when targeted this past season.
Hill — Hill played 350 or more defensive snaps in each of the past four seasons and was solid in coverage, earning a 70.0-plus grade in that facet in each of the past two years. He missed just 6.9% of the tackles he attempted last year, which could help him stick on special teams.
Jordan — Jordan is on the smaller side for the position (193 pounds) and produced underwhelming testing numbers (4.56-second 40-yard dash), but he produced some big plays for Louisville over the past few seasons, with 50 runs of 10-plus yards. It’s another option in the backfield for the Texans, who replaced Devin Singletary with Joe Mixon earlier this offseason.
Byrd — Byrd was always expected to take a big step in his later years at USC, so this is a high-ceiling selection for the Texans. Byrd can learn from Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. after recording 41 pressures in 2023 on 302 pass-rush snaps. He often looks to dip under offensive tackles and could aim to bulk up to be a more productive NFL player.
Harris — Harris was fantastic against the run this past season, earning an 87.4 PFF run-defense grade in the best season of his college career. He has the talent to compete for snaps on a rotational basis as a rookie, especially on early downs, finishing this past season with a 10.2% run-stop rate.
Henderson — Henderson wasn’t on the PFF big board and struggled down the stretch for the Michigan Wolverines. He did show some flashes early in the season, though, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade above 70.0 in six of the first eight games of the year.
Sporting News: A+
From Vinnie Iyer:
The Texans had a sneaky supporting draft for what they did with DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud as the rookie foundations last season. Lassiter and Bullock fill key needs in the secondary behind Will Anderson Jr. Fisher has them thinking ahead on Stroud’s protection, and Stover gives him a familiar college target.
Touchdown Wire: B
From Doug Farrar:
The Texans are just a few players from being able to call themselves a legit Super Bowl contender, and maybe these are the guys. Kamari Lassiter is a highly aggressive defender, especially closer to the line of scrimmage, and he constricted most of the receivers he faced for the Bulldogs in 2023. And Blake Fisher gives offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and his staff the ability to keep Tytus Howard on the inside as Shaq Mason’s guard bookend. Ohio State’s Cade Stover is a nice addition who should fit well in the multiple tight end sets Slowik would like to run, and he obviously has experience with C.J. Stroud.
There are no real home runs here as there were last year when the Texans selected the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the year in Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., but it’s also indicative of how a team’s priorities change when you go from outhouse to penthouse this quickly.
The Ringer: C+
From Danny Kelly:
Houston came into theis draft with below-average captial after trading thir first-round pick to the Vikings last month. The team would also probably lobby for me to include Stefon Diggs in this draft haul (since he was acquired for a second rounder), but for this exercise, I’m just grading actual picks. On that front, I liked what the team did to boost the depth in their secondary: Kamari Lassiter is an instinctive, savvy cover corner who fell primarily because he ran slow at his pro day (reportedly a 4.64 40-yard dash, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler). But he can play, and should compete for snaps early on, possibly as a nickel defender. Safety Calen Bullock is another intriguing developmental pick for Houston; he’s a super rangy and long-levered ball-hawk who could be a factor in the backend down the line. The Texans also added a potential starter on the offensive line in Notre Dame tackle Blake Fisher.
Texans Wire: B+
From Cole Thompson:
There’s nothing to love about the Texans’ draft, but there’s also nothing to hate. There is, however, a lot to like and be excited about when looking at the big picture past the nine new prospects added over the past two days.
Kamari Lassiter ran a 4.6 40-time, but his play was worthy of first-round buzz. This is a DeMeco Ryans’ cornerback if the term were to exists who should come in and start immediately in the nickel. Calen Bullock has that center-field-type mentality that can stay back in coverage to force incompletions and create turnovers. Cade Stover should be a reliable No. 2 tight end for a decade, and already has a budding relationship with his new [and old QB]. Even the Fisher selection makes sense given Houston’s offensive line woes from a season ago.
When you add Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon (two players acquired via trade) to the mix, you see how built Houston is entering what hopes to be a new era of football down at NRG Stadium. For not having a first-round pick, Nick Caserio landed quality players and improved the organization. That’s all that matters in the end, folks.
