Houston Texans draft picks and needs ahead of 2019 NFL trade deadline
By Jair Lopez
Evaluating the Houston Texans remaining draft picks and needs with the 2019 NFL trade deadline arriving today.
The Houston Texans have been wheeling and dealing with teams around the league since former general manager Brian Gaine was released from his position before the start of training camp. Since Gaines’ departure from the organization, Texans have acquired Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Duke Johnson, Carlos Hyde, Keion Crossen, and Gareon Conley throughout the 2019 season.
In the Miami Dolphins trade for Tunsil and Stills, the Texans traded their 2020 first-round pick, 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 second-round draft selection, and received a 2020 fourth-round pick and 2021 sixth-round pick.
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The Johnson trade with the Cleveland Browns resulted in the Texans trading a 2020 conditional fourth-rounder that could convert to a third-round draft selection if Johnson was active for ten games in the 2019 season. Barring any injury, the Browns will meet the criteria to receive the Texans’ third-round pick in 2020.
Texans traded a 2020 sixth-rounder to the New England Patriots in return for Crossen to form part of Houston’s secondary and contribute on special teams. In their most recent trade, the Texans traded for former Oakland Raiders’ 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley for a 2020 third-rounder from the Seattle Seahawks that they acquired by trading Jadeveon Clowney.
Despite the five players acquired in exchange for future draft picks, Houston has enough draft picks in 2020 to address needs on their roster in the trade deadline. Houston still has it’s second, fourth, fourth (Miami), fifth, and seventh-rounder in the 2020 draft to swing a deal with other NFL teams.
Trading their current draft picks wouldn’t hurt taking into consideration the potential two third-round compensatory picks the Texans could receive after Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson signed elsewhere in free agency. Texans still have the flexibility to be aggressive to acquire talent via trade with not a lot of talent currently available in free agency.
There is no guarantee the Texans make another move today, but the most significant issues remain on the defensive side of the football. A season-ending injury to J.J. Watt could prompt the Texans to bolster their defensive line with the pass rush currently a weakness on the roster.
Acquiring another defensive back couldn’t be out of the question with the Texans struggling to field a healthy unit last Sunday against the Raiders.
Next. 3 defensive end options at trade deadline. dark
Texans’ needs and draft picks could allow them to make a trade before the 3:00 p.m. central time deadline.