The 2025 NFL Draft is the perfect time for teams to find starters, depth pieces and diamonds in the rough.
While the Houston Texans have missed on several players, including 2022 first-round pick Kenyon Green, general manager Nick Caserio has managed to hit on every third-round pick since arriving in 2021. Wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, defensive back Calen Bullock, and linebacker Christian Harris have been exceptional contributors to ensure a pair of AFC South division titles in the DeMeco Ryans' era. They've also proven to be worth the asking price compared to see them leave via trade or on the open market in free agency.
Houston's also been exceptionally lucky with its last four first picks. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is an All-Pro defender three years after being drafted out of LSU. C.J. Stroud is a top 12 quarterback who set records during his rookie season en route to helping the Texans return to the postseason for the fist time in four years. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is the next big-time pass-rusher and 2025 second-round pick Kamari Lassiter might be the league's best No. 2 cornerback.
The Texans have seven picks in 2025 to add to a stellar roster, including four in the third round. While trades are possible, Houston could trust its scouting department to find contributors on all three days of the draft at various positions of need.
Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante went through all seven rounds of the draft and made every pick for the Texans with no trades. Infante added at various positions of need but keyed in some of the top SEC players to follow names like Anderson, Lassiter and Stingley Jr. down to Houston for a chance to compete for an AFC conference title.
Here's how the Texans' picks went:
Round 1, Pick No. 25: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
Round 2, Pick No. 58: TJ Sanders, DL, South Carolina
Round 3, Pick No. 79 (VIA WAS): Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Round 3, Pick No. 89: Emery Jones, OL, LSU
Round 5, Pick No. 166: Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
Round 7, Pick No. 236: Danny Striggow, EDGE, Minnesota
Round 7, Pick No. 241: Dante Trader Jr., S, Maryland
There are a few familiar names on this list throughout the mock draft.
Booker has been a mainstay at No. 25 since the early part of the offseason. Considering the Texans' glaring need for a playmaker at both guard position, he could be the best option left on the board when Houston is up to select.
Sanders and Williams have grown in popularity over the last two weeks, especially Williams. He recently visited Houston and would be a exceptional replacement for Dell, who is expected to miss the majority of the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury in late-December. Sanders' frame and pass-rushing potential is the ideal fit for Ryans' defense, so it makes sense as to why the Texans would target a more reliable long-term option at defensive tackle when on the clock on Day 2. Players like Trader and Striggow are low-risk depth pieces, while Etienne would be a nice Day 3 to shore up the run game behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon. The Texans need depth with at least two starters walking out of the seven ronds in Green Bay.
This draft accomplishes that mentality
