The Houston Texans came into the 2024 NFL Draft lacking a first-round pick. Essentially trading it away in a series of moves for what would become Stefon Diggs. Diggs as the team's defacto first-round pick is not a bad thing at all. Especially with the Houston Texans clearly favoring a pass-first offense over a more well-balanced one.
While receiver wasn't a need, the Texans couldn't pass on that. So while it's not ideal, it did give the team a major player. Still, that didn't mean that the team didn't still have holes to fill, and they needed to utilize the rest of the draft nearly perfectly. The team needed to address the secondary, primarily the safety position, inside linebacker, defensive tackle, offensive line depth, and running back. We'd like to see a running back get taken but as this is prior to the draft starting, we'll have to see if they end up taking one.
It may be hard to get starters at all of the positions above, but even if they add depth to those positions, that'll be enough to warrant a thumbs-up from us. For those new to this though, we have expectations for the type of player the Texans get per round.
A first-rounder is an immediate starter, no ands or ifs about it. The second round should get you a starter assuming he's at a posfirst-rounderition of need. Third-rounders are guys you should expect to see a lot of action, even if they don't start. Fourth-rounders are similar but you expect more special teams out of them.
Fifth-rounders are almost specifically special teams, and guys with that x-factor that you hope can turn into something good. Sixth-rounders are your prospects, guys with one tantalizing skill usually who you hope to be able to mold into a football player. Seventh-rounders are guys you just hope make the team.
So keeping in mind those expectations will help us paint a better picture of why we have the grades we do for each player.
The 10th pick of Round 2 (42nd overall)- CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
The Houston Texans needed a cornerback in the draft, and they struck early taking Kamari Lassiter with the 10th pick of the second round. The pick was not seen universally as the right call, as while the Texans needed help in the secondary, they opted not to trade up for Cooper DeJean or Kool-Aid McKinstry, both of whom went right before the Lassiter.
The big knock on Lassiter and why so many people were upset with them not moving up two or three pots is because of how slow Lassiter actually is. He ran just a 4.65 40-yard dash time according to DraftBuzz.com. That's awful and it makes him one of, if not the slowest corners in the draft. It doesn't mean he can't get better, but it does mean he won't be able to play a lot of man-to-man against better, and faster wide receivers.
In coverage, PFF gave him an 87.2, while giving his zone coverage, which he'll hopefully run most of the time Houston, a grade of 73.8. He had a man coverage grade of 81.5 but he's facing a lot less impressive talent at receiver at the college level, so it's not a fair representation of what he can do.
He may turn into a great player, we'll have to wait and see but with the Texans' willingness to move in the draft, it was shocking that they settled for Lassiter.
Grade: C+
The 27th pick of Round 2 (59th overall) - OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
Some fans were unhappy with this pick but as far as I'm concerned, the Houston Texans needed help at the offensive line spot. It's been something we've been raving about for months, with the focus being guard, but any help is better than not. Laremy Tunsil is a Pro Bowler, absolutely but no one else on the line is on his level and it's shocking how many NFL experts think a subpar line is fine.
Blake Fisher was not the guy, however. At least not with who was still on the board, as Kingsley Suamataia and Roger Rosengarten were right there. Now, Fisher is a better run-blocker than both men at least from what we saw from them in college, but both men are better pass-blockers than Fischer.
They were also both seen as stronger prospects, yet the Texans went with Fisher. Now, Fisher could become the better prospect but even among those who knew the Texans needed help at the position, there was a debate about whether Fisher was the right guy, a debate we're not sure about either. it could easily be that he is the right man for the job. Still, there were better-perceived prospects on the board
Grade: C+
The 14th pick of round 3 (78th overall) - S Calen Bullock, USC
The Texans opted to take former USC safety Calen Bullock next and while he's far from a super prospect, he has shown enough to maybe be an upgrade for this defense. He had pretty solid measurables, with a solid 4.48 40-yard dash and a pretty impressive 1.51 10-yard dash, making him a really fast player off the snap but not someone you're going to want to match up on a speedster on one.
He's a good zone coverage safety, putting up a PFF grade of 82.2 for his coverage abilities. However, he does come with a significant downside, he's not a good run run-stopper. While safeties aren't required to be great against the run, you still want someone who can lay a lick on a running back when they're coming up out of the backfield. He tends to miss a lot of tackles as well, making him a work in progress.
However, in round three and on, you're lucky to find a fringe starter, which is what Bullock is. He's a fringe starter and according to DraftBuzz.com was actually ranked higher than Cole Bishop, who went a few spots ahead of him.
Grade: B+
The 23rd pick of Round 4(123rd overall) - TE Cade Stover, OSU
The Houston Texans were rumored to take a tight end since the end of the season. First, it was due to the uncertainty of Dalton Schultz's long-term future with the team, then it was because of the depth the position lacked. Waiting for the fourth round seemed logical, though one could argue it wasn't a position of need, at least not one that required Cade Stover.
The Texans reached for a tight end in the fourth instead of a defensive tackle, but they didn't reach for the player they got. Stover is a solid tight end, who's seen as more of a run blocker than anything else but that's a mischaracterization. He had a PFF grade of 79.4 as a receiver, and a 54.4 run blocking grade. That's low for an offensive lineman but not so bad for a tight end. A tight end the size of Stover to boot, who is 6'4 and nearly 250 lbs
Couple him with a 4.65 40-yard dash at his size, and he may be a real threat to opposing defenses who want to try and stop him. That said, we have to see if he's capable of more in the passing game in the pros, as while can be a big target, he's not known for taking over games in college.
Plus you're reuniting him with his former college quarterback, C.J. Stroud. That's just a nice bonus.
Grade: B+
The 12th pick of Round 6 (188th overall) - LB Jamal Hill, Oregon
This might be a shock for some people, but for where he went in the draft and what he can do for the Houston Texans, I'm kind of a big fan of the Jamal Hill pick. A long-time safety at Oregon, the 6'0, 217 lbs defensive back moved to linebacker as a senior and really showed what kind of versatility he had.
While he didn't see an improvement in his tackling and was still a liability against the run, Hill added another level of defense against the pass, something the Houston Texans are missing. hill could come in and be a flex player, capable of lining up as the third linebacker of the third safety depending on scheme and need.
He's fast for his position, 4.46 40-yard dash, and strong (17 reps for his bench press), so if he can hunker down and work on his tackling, he may end up being one of the better picks in the draft. For a sixth-rounder, it's about the x-factor. For Hill, it's that versatility. He's not expected to be a starter this season, and will likely just be a special teamer, but if he can prove to be worth more snaps than just special teams or the practice squad, then this is a home run of a pick.
Grade: A-
The 29th pick of Round 6 (205 overall) - RB Jawhar Jordan, Louisville
The Houston Texans needed a running back in the draft as Joe Mixon is a stopgap at the position, not a game-changer, but we all thought they'd go sooner to get one. We also thought that when they did finally pick one, he'd be a bit younger. Neither thing happened as Jawhar Jordan went 205th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. A top 10 rated PFF college running back, Jordan averaged over six yards per carry in his final year in college
And when he joins the Texans, he'll do something no one from the last three draft classes can claim; rent a car. When Jordan suits up for his first game as a Texans player, he'll be 25 years old. Maybe you can make the case for drafting an immediate impact player at that age, or even a developmental quarterback.
Most running backs are out of the league by 25. Saquon Barkley is only two years older than Jordan. He's as old as most players on their second contract and he only runs a 4.56 40-yard dash. While he excelled at Lousiville, we have to wonder if maybe that wasn't partly due to their blocking scheme and offensive line, two things that won't be in Houston waiting for him.
Having a high PFF grade is neat and all, but this isn't the Atlantic Coast Conference. Sure, there is more focus on him being a returner, but still, a 25-year-old rookie position player is wild.
Grade: D
The 18th pick of Round 7 (238 overall) - DE Solomon Byrd, USC
The Houston Texans double-dipped with the University of Southern California, by drafting their second ex-Trojans player of the day. Joining former safety Calen Bullock is Solomon Byrd, the team's defensive end. Byrd doesn't appear to have any unique trait that would make you think he's the next coming of Javon Kerse or J.J. Watt, but he does offer something useful.
See, despite not being overly big, fast, or strong, Byrd is talented in the game itself. Playing for USC, PFF graded him out at 81.7 against the pass rush. He also had a good run-stopping score of 74.8. Playing at USC meant he was facing a lot of tough teams, and with seven sacks for his final year as a Trojan, we can't just dismiss that.
He's going to have an uphill battle in Houston to get playing time, however, as the team needed defensive tackles over ends at this point in the draft, making his pick ill-advised in multiple ways. One could argue he could be a linebacker but he's too slow to play that spot. Plus he's too light to play defensive tackle.
Still, if he can put together a strong showing against the run, he may find himself on the team come September.
Grade: C+
The 27 Pick of Round 7 (247 overall) - DT Marcus Harris, Auburn
I believe that if Marcus Harris was four inches taller and 20 lbs heavier, he'd be a day two prospect. Marcus Harris was a great run-stopper for the Auburn Tigers. He had a PFF rank of 82.4 for his final year in college, with a run-stopping grade of 87.4. Considering how bad the Houston Texans inside two were last year against the run, getting a kid like Harris late in the draft is miraculous.
He is small for a defensive tackle, just 6'2 and 286 lbs. He's not a long player either, the definition of a "compact player" is Harris. Yet, he's strong as heck. He posted 27 reps of 220lbs at the combine, proving to be one of the strongest players in the draft. Yes, he's small but he's strong and he can get inside on bigger guards and wreck running plays.
He's a seventh-round pick, so we're not expecting miracles, but there's a good chance he could find himself in contention for time on a rotation, or even starting if he can prove his size isn't the disadvantage that some experts believe to be true.
Grade: A-
The 29th Pick of Round 7 (249 overall ) - OT LaDarius Henderson, Michigan
To say that LaDarius Henderson was a surprise pick by the Houston Texans would be an understatement. The former tackle from the Michigan Wolverines wasn't even on a lot of people's big boards, and pro football focus has no advanced stats for him, as he wasn't seen as a big prospect. The Texans drafted Henderson mostly due to his size, as he has an 85'' wing span while having 10.5'' hands and 35'' arms.
He's a tackle, who in theory, can really keep defensive ends and blitzers off of him without fear of them breaking his grip. Still, he isn't really a known prospect and was mostly just taken as a flyer. He was high enough to go in PFF's mock draft, going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 201st pick. A bold pick to assume he'd eventually get drafted, but one that would essentially come true with he Houston Texans.
Still, he's the second offensive tackle the Texans took, and the team needed a more natural guard, so unless the idea is to move him to guard, Henderson really doesn't help the Texans at all. At least not this year. There's always hope that the guys taken late can become something but it's best to not hold your breath.
Grade: D-
Overall Draft Grade
So the way we're going to do this is severalfold. We're going to first grade the draft by combining the grade for each individual pick. We're going to add the picks up, divide by the number of picks and that'll give us our first score. Secondly, we're going to look at the positions taken and do our best to compare them to the positions of need. The bigger the need should be addressed with the higher of picks. The less important ones should be addressed later. We'll then combine those two scores for our overall score.
So, for our players, A's get the Texans four points, B's three, C's two, D's one, and F's nothing. So how did the Texans draft talent do as a grade? Well, combining the individual grades, we get a 2.4, so we'll round up and just say a "C".
As for if the team addressed the needs of the team? The first three picks, while not ones I'd make, all did address positions of need as soon as possible. So we'd give the addressing of corner, safety, and tackle an A for each. While Cade Stover was a good get, defensive tackle should've been next so we'll give that pick a C.
Jamal Hill is a versatile player who can play multiple spots, and while defensive tackle was a bigger need, we're still going with a B. The Texans needed a late-running back, and while Jahar Jordan is going to be 25 to start the season, the position was dressed, so we'll give it a B. The Texans didn't need an end, despite his talent, Solomon Byrd's need was non-existent, so the pick for a defensive end gets an F.
Marcus Harris gets an A as the team needed defensive tackles (albeit much earlier but oh well), and the LaDarius Henderson pick gets a C. While the team needs offensive linemen still, a guard was more necessary at this point. That means the Texans got a grade of 2.88, also known as a C+.
- Player Grades: C (2.4 out of 4)
- Positional Need Grade: C+ (2.88)
- Total Grade: C (2.6)
Conclusion: The Houston Texans picked up three early players with starter optional and did a solid, albeit unspectacular job filling in holes after. There is an upside to the players taken, but they have a long way to go to raise the draft grade.