The Houston Texans started out 0-3 in 2025 and finished 12-5, coming within one game of the AFC South title in a marvelous rebound after a brutal start. However, yet again, this team fell short in the playoffs, and for the third year in a row, lost in the Divisional Round.
A Divisional Round loss has been this team's fate in all three years of the CJ Stroud era, and something, one way or another, has to give. Stroud himself really hasn't played all that well since his miraculous rookie season, and some have begun to wonder if Stroud is even the long-term answer for Houston.
What does appear to be clear, though, is that this team got better in the offseason. The major concern was along the offensive line, and to fix that, General Manager Nick Caserio signed guard Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith. All of a sudden, Houston's offensive line is the best it's been in the Stroud era, and the defense is already elite. After this fantastic offseason haul, let's see how the Texans could approach the 2026 NFL Draft.
Houston Texans updated NFL Mock Draft following stellar free agency
28. CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
CJ Allen has been seen by many as one of the smartest players in the NFL Draft. He would be capable of wearing the green dot on offense and would insert into an already-elite unit. The rich get richer as some say, as Allen would give the Texans some long-term stability at linebacker, which isn't really something they have at the moment.
38. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Again addressing the defense, Houston snags Lee Hunter at pick 38 and improve even more on this side of the ball. Some folks along Houston's interior are getting up there in age, so this pick is simply about ensuring the unit is fortified for depth purposes now and perhaps for starting purposes in the future.
Houston fixing the offensive line in free agency does give them some wiggle room in the NFL Draft, which could allow the front office to put this roster over the top.
59. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
The Texans swung a trade for David Montgomery, and he should be able to give this team some backfield stability for the 2026 season. However, Caserio does need another young player in this room, as he watched a previous veteran running back addition, Joe Mixon, not play at all in 2025.
Jadarian Price is a Javonte Williams-type of runner and is someone who may honestly go earlier than this, but a potential backfield featuring Montgomery, Price, and Woody Marks would really be a tough unit for opposing defenses to stop.
69. Justin Joly, TE, NC State
Continuing with the offensive side of the ball, Houston snags Justin Joly at pick 69, their last selection in the top-100. Joly is one of the many encouraging tight end prospects this year. Dalton Schultz signed a one-year extension, keeping him in Houston through the 2027 season, but it would never hurt to add a potential long-term replacement here.
106. Jake Slaughter, OC, Florida
Another pick along the offense, the Texans grab Jake Slaughter from Florida. Slaugher is an extremely intelligent center prospect and could end up starting for this team sometime in the future. Jake Andrews is the Texans starting center right now, but he's just not anything special. Adding Slaughter into the mix could help the team check off another box along the offensive line.
141. Jaeden Roberts, OG, Alabama
Jaeden Roberts is the second offensive line prospect in a row here in this Texans' mock draft. The team has fixed the unit for the time being, but it'll regress big-time into a bad group if the front office doesn't keep investing into it.
And the one way to do that successfully and consistently is being able to draft and develop.
167. Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU
Yet another offensive pick, Houston adds another young wide receiver to the mix and takes Aaron Anderson from LSU, stacking the offense with a plethora of rookies.
243. Preston Hodge, CB, Colorado
Finally, Houston adds to what may already be the best secondary in the NFL with some potential depth with Preston Hodge from Colorado.