If the Houston Texans could walk out of the first two rounds with an offensive lineman and wide receiver in this month’s draft, that should be considered a long-term win.
Is there a preference for the order of players? Well, it depends on which prospects remain in play when on the clock at No. 25. Barring a Matthew Golden draft day tumble, the Texans would be wise to wait until Day 2 to land their next No. 2 pass-catcher for the foreseeable future.
In the new mock draft from ESPN’s Field Yates, that seems to be the plan. At pick No. 25, Houston slightly reaches for the position value but still lands a prominent plug-and-play starter in Ohio State lineman Donovan Jackson.
“Houston would continue its offensive upheaval with the addition of Jackson, who just cracks my top 20 prospects. He was a stalwart for multiple seasons at guard for Ohio State before kicking out to left tackle in October when Josh Simmons went down with a knee injury,” Yates wrote. “Jackson immediately became comfortable in the position and was outstanding throughout the Buckeyes’ national championship run. His best spot is still at guard, but he has invaluable positional flex to go along with power and toughness.”
The position flexibility would help Houston collectively build an offensive line surrounding its five best players. Jackson, a Texas native, might be better suited at guard, but he held his own in 11 games at left tackle en route to the Buckeyes’ first national championship in 10 years.
Should Jackson thrive in camp at right tackle, that would allow Tytus Howard to shift inside to left guard, thus shoring up the interior part of the offensive line. If former second-round pick Blake Fisher improves, Jackson should shift into one of the guard roles with Howard, allowing veteran Laken Tomlinson and former LSU star Ed Ingram to serve as upside backups.
In Round 2, the Texans ensure C.J. Stroud has a third weapon on the outside to pair with Nico Collins. After a promising senior season and exceptional workout during last month’s combine, Washington State’s Kyle Williams has garnered Day 2 buzz.
Yates has him landing as the new Z receiver for Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley at pick No. 58.
“Williams would bring juice to Houston’s offense, considering he finished his college career on a TD heater, scoring nine over his final six games,” Yates wrote. “Tank Dell’s status for 2025 is uncertain (knee), Stefon Diggs is off to New England and newly acquired Christian Kirk is under contract for just one season.”
Should Dell return in 2025, he’ll be slow to regain that straight-line speed. Enter Williams, who in his final two seasons with the Cougars totaled over 130 receptions and 20 touchdowns while averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
The Texans have seven picks in the draft with four major needs, including interior offensive line, offensive tackle, wide receiver and defensive tackle depth.
