The Houston Texans’ rebuild may not be completed in the 2022 offseason; just take a look at how average the club was with its free agent signings.
With Davis Mills entrenched as the starting quarterback and a bevy of holes still evident on the roster, the Texans may be more “process oriented” in 2022 than they would like.
The Texans took a significant step in their rebuild by dealing quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns. With an extra first-round pick in the 2022-24 NFL drafts, the Texans have enough capital to acquire impactful talent whether by trades or in the draft itself.
However, the Texans shouldn’t just be content to use their first-round picks. Houston ought to take a page from the New York Giants.
According to Patrik Walker from CBS Sports, the Giants are entertaining the notion of trading one of their three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft for a first-rounder in next year’s draft.
To that end, they’re reportedly open to trading one of their 2022 first-round picks in exchange for one in 2023, per SNY, with Schoen not completely sold on this year’s crop of quarterbacks but having come to terms with the reality Jones might not be the answer. As it stands, the Giants own both the fifth- and seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft, and that’s premium real estate for any team who feels the top prospect on their board may not make it out of the top-10.
If the Texans aren’t able to execute a trade down with their No. 13 overall pick, why not look at trading way back into 2023? Houston would have three first-round picks for next year, which would be enough capital to either go all the way to the top to take a presumptive franchise quarterback prospect, or put together an impressive package to fill roster holes with playmakers.
The Watson trade gave the Texans extra picks, and general manager Nick Caserio ought to look for ways to turn that into generational wealth and keep Houston picking multiple times in the top-100, regardless of how the team actually finishes the season.
