The Houston Texans may be open to trading the third overall selection in this year’s draft.
In an interview with SportsRadio 610, Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio was asked about what he is going to do with his first choice of the draft, and he gave an answer that for once was straightforward.
When explicitly asked about it, Caserio said the following:
"“Absolutely. Always open for business. You never want to limit yourself,” Caserio said. “I’ve always been open-minded when it comes to the draft. … Every team and every individual has a different philosophy. ‘We’re not gonna trade, we’re always going to pick, we’re not going to move.’ I think we’re a little bit more open-minded, progressive thinking, move up and down. And it’s not just move to move.”"
Houston has a first-round selection for the first time since 2019, when they selected Tytus Howard with their pick. So while the chance of Caserio trading down is certainly viable, there is no way that they would trade back far enough to dip out of the first round.
This could be the best way to get more draft capital, as another second-round pick or third-round choice would be an excellent addition to a team that barely had any picks last season.
The Houston Texans are open to trading the third pick- but who will they call?
Recently, a list of potential trade down partners was constructed. I think the one team they should call out of that list is the Arizona Cardinals, who clearly struggled in their wildcard game against the L.A. Rams.
Arizona would need a playmaker that would make an immediate impact, and imagine a playoff team having the third overall selection. Houston could also try to ply DeAndre Hopkins back from Arizona or trade for their star safety in Budda Baker to replace Justin Reid.
Arizona will be under immense pressure as Kyler Murray’s rookie contract is expiring soon, especially if they don’t exercise the fifth-year option on his contract.
Whoever it ends up being, the Texans and Caserio need to make sure they’re getting as much value possible and are content with their decision.