The Houston Texans don’t have a first-round draft pick with a little more than a month to go before the 2024 NFL draft. They traded the Nos. 23 and 232 selections to the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 42 pick, the No. 188 pick and a 2025 second-round pick.
Houston has eight other picks throughout the draft, though, where the team can find contributors at various areas of the roster. The defensive line, the secondary and wide receivers are all big needs after the initial waves of free agency ended with a bevy of moves by the Texans.
Pro Football Focus went through the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft - where the Texans have three picks - and selected some intriguing players for Houston. Here’s how it went, as well as a verdict of the decisions for PFF.
No. 42: Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa
The Texans don’t have a quality starting cornerback opposite Derek Stingley Jr. yet with Steven Nelson still on the open market. T.J. Tampa is one of the better options left in the draft considering his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. His body type fits the defense well. Tampa caught two interceptions and allowed a 54.8 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.
No. 59: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
It’ll be a miracle if Houston can snag Keon Coleman this late in the second round. He’s an awesome addition to the offense as another go-up-and-get-it vertical threat alongside Nico Collins.
The only confusing part about Coleman is he doesn’t fit the mold Caserio appeared interested in when he almost traded for Keenan Allen. Nevertheless, a trio of Coleman and Collins on the outside with Tank Dell in the slot and tight end Dalton Schultz underneath is fantastic for C.J. Stroud in his second season.
No. 86: Kansas State OG Cooper Beebee
The selection of Beebee in the third-round is all about offensive line depth. While drafting an interior defensive tackle might fill an immediate need more, going with an interior offensive lineman gives the Texans more options if injury strikes again. This was an issue all year in 2023 when Houston had to swap out linemen. Getting a guy like Beebee
Verdict
In this scenario, Texans general manager Nick Caserio solved two of Houston’s biggest problems with his first two picks of the draft: Cornerback and wide receiver.
A backup offensive lineman in the third isn’t awful, but it still leaves a hole at the interior of the defensive line. Coleman also it’s necessarily the type of receiver the Texans are looking for to complement Collins and Dell.
Still, this is a solid draft for the Texans as they look to make a major jump in 2024.
Verdict: B+
