2 players the Houston Texans could trade up for in the NFL Draft

Byron Murphy, DT, Texas

In a class filled with defensive line talent, Byron Murphy will be one of the first taken. Murphy will be the Texans' version of Christian Wilkins for the next decade or longer. Texas' defensive line of Murphy and fellow draft prospect T'Vondre Sweat was one of the best in college football, and Sweat was considered a first-round pick before legal issues halted that discussion. Now, Murphy will be the lone tackle taken from Texas on Day 1, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be the Texans.

After losing out on Wilkins in Free Agency, they pivoted over to Denico Autry and Foley Fatukasi. No disrespect to them, they're talented players. However, they don't fix the Texans' defensive line long-term. Rotating Sweat in with those two players this year will make their interior defensive line one of the best in the league.

ESPN's Jordan Reid predicts Murphy to be drafted 18th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Texans value him, and the future of their line with Will Anderson, they'll package some of their many draft picks this year and move back into Round 1 for Murphy. The talent can't be overlooked, and the chance at pairing Murphy with Will Anderson long-term may be too much to pass up.