The Houston Texans completed their second draft in the Nick Caserio era. The wheeling-and-dealing general manager acquired nine rookies to add to the roster.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Texans earned a B-plus grade for their draft class. Derek Stingley was regarded as a decent pick at No. 3 overall in Round 1.
Day 1: Stingley’s draft stock ended up coming full circle, with him coming off the board as a top-five pick and CB1 here for Houston. He was never able to build on a dominant true freshman season with LSU in 2019 when he allowed a 51.4 passer rating into his coverage with 21 combined pass breakups and interceptions. But that talent didn’t go anywhere. Stingley brings rare movement skills and athleticism and can play in any scheme. He’ll be a building block in Houston as Nick Caserio & Co. overhaul the roster.
The selection of Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green at No. 13 overall generated some criticism, but the picking of Baylor safety Jalen Pitre helped fill a need on the backend.
Another area where Houston reached in the opinion of PFF was the acquisition of Alabama receiver John Metchie in Round 2.
Considering the Texans traded up for Metchie, who is coming off an ACL injury and has a questionable ceiling, this is a below-average pick for Houston. An injury of this magnitude is a concern for a player with questions about his full potential and physical profile. On a more positive note, the 5-foot-11, 187-pounder is a technician. He’s a sound route-runner who consistently got open against stiff competition in the SEC. In fact, Metchie led the conference in targets against single coverage with a step or more of separation over the past two seasons.
The Christian Harris pick in Round 3 was a solid addition to the linebacking corps, and the Dameon Pierce pick was lauded as it helps Houston establish an identity as a physical running team.
Houston completed their draft with DL Thomas Booker and TE Teagen Quitoriano in Round 5 and OT Austin Deculus in Round 6.
