After a whirlwind of moves in the first week of NFL free agency, the Houston Texans' remaining needs in the draft have come more into focus. In the initial period, they most notably acquired former Indianapolis Colts tackle Braden Smith, former Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship and former Arizona Cardinals guard/center Evan Brown.
With that in mind, here is three-round mock draft that hopefully will best reflect the impending direction of the team's personnel decisions next month.
(Note: Also, check out our latest NFL league-wide Mock Draft by Fansided NFL Draft Analyst Cody Williams!)
Pick #28 (first round): OT Max Iheanachor
- School: Arizona State
- Class: Redshirt Senior
- 40-time: 4.91s (10-yard split: 1.73s)
- Draft Notes: Wow-type athlete at 6-foot-6, 321 pounds; older prospect but showed nice film in 2025; still developing despite age (Cody Williams, Fansided NFL Draft Analyst)
In this scenario, the Texans could opt to move incoming tackle Braden Smith over to his collegiate position of guard in order to facilitate Iheanachor’s arrival in Houston.
On Iheanachor, Fansided’s Levi Dombro says,
“32 games played at Division I level, nearly 2,000 offensive snaps. Gave up just two sacks at Arizona State in three years, and zero since September 2024. Second-Team All Big-12 in 2025.
Iheanachor has every physical tool in the book to be an exceptional offensive tackle in the NFL. He's a monster and just needs to get in with the right coaching staff and into a system that can maximize him.”
Pick #38 (second round): DT Kayden McDonald
- School: Ohio State
- Class: Junior
- Draft notes: Did not test at combine, but it wouldn’t have changed much; McDonald is an NFL-ready run-stopper with minor pass-rush upside (Cody Williams, Fansided NFL Draft Analyst)
With the Texans losing Time Settle Jr., cutting Mario Edwards Jr. and seeing Sheldon Rankins only get older, the team invests in their future at the position with McDonald.
Williams give his thoughts on the “sure run stopper” in McDonald with,
“I do love the Ohio State product, even if he hasn't realized himself as a pass-rusher just yet. He can plug and play on early downs right now and help ______ in an area of need.”
Pick #59 (second round): IOL Connor Lew
- School: Auburn
- Class: Junior
- Draft notes: His tape is easily worthy of a top-50 selection, but a torn ACL last season will keep him out of the draft process and potentially through the summer, putting his NFL regular-season debut on hold. (Jared Feinberg, Cat Crave)
Due to Lew’s injury, the thought of him immediately competing for the starting center position wouldn’t be feasible. However, his pedigree and potential will certainly see him challenging for the job in the future, with his main competition being incumbent Jake Andrews.
Fansided’s Chris Landers praised the impact of centers in this year’s draft, specifically Lew, with,
“The good news is that this draft class is rich with not just centers but centers who have tons of starting experience and should be ready to step into an NFL lineup in year one. Auburn's Connor Lew, a three-year starter in the SEC, would make a ton of sense.”
Pick #69 (third round): RB Mike Washington Jr.
- School: Arkansas
- Class: Senior
- Draft notes: Among participating running backs, he posted the fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.33 seconds, an eye-opening number for a player of his size. Washington also finished second among running backs in the vertical jump (39 inches) and second in the broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches). (Ryan Guthrie, Razorbackers)
The Texans could potentially have a three-headed monster in the backfield with the addition of Washington Jr alongside David Montgomery and Woody Marks.
On Washington Jr., Guthrie continues to proclaim,
“At 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds, Washington combines elite athleticism with the size of a power back, a rare combination that makes him especially intriguing at the next level.”