HOU

Houston Texans

AFC AFC South

Draft Strategy:

Draft Needs

Priority	Position	Level	Target Round	Notes
1	OG	CRITICAL	Round 1	Interior OL remains glaring hole; Ed Ingram re-signed but need a starting guard opposite him to protect C.J. Stroud
2	C	HIGH	Round 2	Center is an ongoing upgrade target; FA market thinned out, making the draft the primary path to a starter-quality pivot
3	DT	HIGH	Round 2	Tim Settle Jr. departed to WAS; Sheldon Rankins aging at 32; need young interior DT on rookie contract
4	LB	HIGH	Round 3	Christian Harris signed with ATL; Henry To'otoo and Al-Shaair remain but depth and a potential starter needed
5	RB	MEDIUM	Round 2	Mixon cut, Montgomery acquired but is a complementary back; need a true between-the-tackles running mate long term
6	CB	MEDIUM	Round 3	Blankenship addresses safety but CB depth behind starters is thin; need developmental corner

Draft Strategy

Best Player Available

This team prioritizes selecting the highest-rated player available on their board, regardless of position. They trust that talent will find its way onto the field and believe in accumulating the best athletes rather than filling specific holes.

Balanced Approach

This team takes a balanced approach, weighing both player value and team needs. They will take the best player available when the value is clear, but will also factor in positional need when players are similarly rated.

Needs-Based

This team focuses on addressing roster holes and positional weaknesses with their picks. They are more likely to reach for players at positions of need, even if higher-rated players are available at other positions.

Team Info

Houston

City

Texans

Nickname

AFC

Conference

South

Division

2026 Draft Picks

Total Picks

Round 1

Top 3 Rounds

Compensatory

Round	Pick	Overall	Type	Original Team
Rd 1	28	#28	OWN	-
Rd 2	38	#38	TRADE	WAS
Rd 2	59	#59	OWN	-
Rd 3	69	#69	TRADE	NYG
Rd 4	106	#106	TRADE	WAS
Rd 5	141	#141	TRADE	LV
Rd 5	167	#167	OWN	-
Rd 7	243	#243	TRADE	SF

Needs Summary

1 OG CRITICAL

2 C HIGH

3 DT HIGH

4 LB HIGH

5 RB MEDIUM

6 CB MEDIUM

2026 Offseason Moves

+ Additions

Braden Smith OT FREE AGENCY

from IND $12.5M/yr 2yr

Dalton Schultz TE FREE AGENCY

$12.6M/yr 1yr

Danielle Hunter DE FREE AGENCY

$40.1M/yr 1yr

David Montgomery RB TRADE

from DET Traded from Lions; Texans sent 2026 4th-round pick, 2026 7th-round pick, and OL Juice Scruggs

Ed Ingram OG FREE AGENCY

$12.5M/yr 3yr

E.J. Speed LB FREE AGENCY

$5.0M/yr 2yr

Foster Moreau TE FREE AGENCY

Terms not reported

Ka'imi Fairbairn K FREE AGENCY

$6.5M/yr 2yr

Logan Hall DE FREE AGENCY

$3.5M/yr 2yr

M.J. Stewart S FREE AGENCY

Re-signed

Naquan Jones DT FREE AGENCY

$2.0M/yr 1yr

Reed Blankenship S FREE AGENCY

from PHI $8.2M/yr 3yr

Sheldon Rankins DT FREE AGENCY

$6.0M/yr 2yr

Trent Brown OT FREE AGENCY

$7.0M/yr 1yr

− Losses

Braden Smith OT FREE AGENCY

to HOU UFA from IND; noted for IND as loss

Christian Kirk WR FREE AGENCY

UFA; not returning; worst statistical season of career in 2025

Denico Autry DT FREE AGENCY

Unrestricted free agent

Joe Mixon RB RELEASE

Released at own request; saves $8M in cap space; injury-plagued 2025 season

Juice Scruggs OG TRADE

to DET Traded to Lions as part of David Montgomery deal

Tommy Townsend P FREE AGENCY

to TEN UFA; signed with Titans 1yr deal

Tytus Howard OT TRADE

to CLE Traded to Browns for 2026 5th-round pick; 7-year Texans veteran