The Houston Texans definitely need to strike big with their first-round NFL Draft pick on Thursday, as they have some very gaping holes that need to be repaired.
Most notably, the Texans need to fix their offensive line, which was among the league's worst in 2024 and has subtracted three starters during the offseason. That included five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil.
As a result, the general expectation is that Houston will select an offensive lineman in the draft, but will any of the Texans' favored targets still be on the board at No. 25?
If it doesn't look like that will be the case, Houston can always trade up, and that is exactly what Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus is urging DeMeco Ryans' club to do, proposing that they try and acquire the 16th overall pick from the Arizona Cardinals.
In Valentine's trade idea, the Texans would send pick Nos. 25 and 89 along with a 2026 third-round selection to the Cardinals in exchange for No. 16. However, Valentine then has Houston taking a massive risk with the pic, predicting that it will select North Dakota State lineman Grey Zabel.
"The plan here is to send the 25th and 89th picks to the Cardinals for the 16th pick, with which the team drafts Grey Zabel," Valentine wrote. "That’s the caveat here. If Zabel is off the board, the Texans probably shouldn’t bite on this trade. Zabel can play all five positions on the offensive line, but his presence on the interior would be an immediate upgrade. Just look at what Graham Barton did for the Buccaneers in 2024."
Zabel's draft stock has skyrocketed over the last couple of minutes and has continued to rise as Day 1 of the draft approaches this week. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound behemoth definitely seems to be a classic boom-or-bust player, and with much safer options likely to be on the board at No. 16, this would be a major risk for the Texans.
