With one week left to play in the regular season, several teams are looking ahead to the offseason. The Houston Texans don’t have to do this yet, since they’re the AFC South champs for the second year in a row.
Despite having a playoff spot locked up, the Texans have been struggling in recent weeks. That includes a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 and another to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17. Those two games saw their deficiencies exposed which is why some are already thinking about the 2025 NFL Draft.
For those who want to see what Houston can do this spring to improve their roster, Cory Kinnan has a two-round mock draft to check out. In his mock, he has Houston addressing the line of scrimmage on offense and defense, starting with the O-line.
At No. 20 overall, Kinnan has the Texans adding Kelvin Banks, Jr. from Texas.
”Many project Kelvin Banks Jr. as a guard at the next level, myself included. The Texans have leaked along the interior of their offensive line all season. The Outland Award winner helps with that immediately.” — Kinnan, Daft on Draft
Banks is widely viewed as a tackle but Kinnan believes his arm length will lead to a shift inside. Whether the Texans go this route or keep him at tackle and move Tytus Howard inside permanently, Banks would be a huge help.
In the second round, Kinnan adds Deone Walker from Kentucky at pick 52. A massive prospect at 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds, Walker is good against the run and pass. His consistency needs to improve and he’s not an overly explosive player, but adding him to the same line as Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter would almost be unfair.
Players will move up and down draft boards based on their work leading up to the draft but at this point, this feels like a massive haul for Houston.