How Did The Houston Texans Grade Out in Trade Sending DT Khalil Davis to 49ers?

The Houston Texans did a lot of work this offseason to make a deeper playoff run than they had in 2023, and before the beginning of the season the Texans, on paper, seemed the runaway favorites to be one of the top contending teams in the league.

Although things haven't quite been as easy as they had hoped, they are still sitting atop the AFC South with a 6-3 record and in control of their destiny. With question marks surrounding some areas of their roster, the Texans decided to stand pat at the NFL trade deadline until a late announcement came following the 3:00 PM CST cutoff that they would be trading the former sixth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.

Davis came to Houston back in 2023 and he flourished during his first season with the team accumulating a career-high 32 tackles with six quarterback hits and two sacks in a reserve role along the defensive line. Before landing in Houston, Davis had one-year stints with the Buccaneers and Colts in which he had very limited production in three total games of action over the two years.

With the return of veteran Mario Edwards Jr. from his suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, it made it a bit easier for the Texans to go ahead and make the move to trade away Davis. The trade only netted the Texans a future late-round draft pick, but according to Yahoo Sports' Cole Thompson, it is enough to earn them a passing grade of a B.

"Houston felt Davis provided the most value on the defensive line among depth pieces and figured it could survive by moving him. A 2026 seventh-round pick might seem low, but it could factor into a later deal for a more prominent name on the trade market," Thompson wrote. "Davis, who was in a contract year, could have left in free agency, leaving Houston without a compensatory pick in the 2025 draft. Instead, the Texans gain a future draft asset for a player who could be replaced with the return of Edwards."

Thompson continued, examining how the Texans will work things out on the defensive line until Edwards Jr. is ready for a return to action.

"For now, the Texans can lean on a combination of Tim Settle and Dencio Autry's opposite Foley Fatukasi. Autry, who recorded two sacks in Thursday's loss against the New York Jets, can kick inside at defensive tackle on pass-rushing sets on third down. Could the Texans have gotten more? Perhaps, but it's something. If Kurt Hinish was on the chopping block, then maybe fans could argue, but at least the Texans are adding draft depth over football depth."

The trade doesn't seem like it will either benefit or hurt the Texans immediately, but the late-round pick could be used in some capacity at a later date - as Thompson alluded to. Thompson gave the 49ers a passing grade as well with a B+ as Davis will likely see an expanded role in San Fran with the loss of Javon Hargrave for the season.