Mel Kiper has the Houston Texans making some wild moves in the draft

The Houston Texans have a lot of holes to figure out in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. The team has pressing needs at corner, safety, offensive line, defensive tackle, linebacker, and running back. Yet the two most pressing groups are arguably the offensive and defensive line. Both are shallow, lacking depth and consistent players who can make the squad better.

The hope is that during the 2024 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans can make moves necessary to fill these holes and improve the depth. Can they do so? We'll see, but Mel Kiper seems to believe the Texans need to go defense to start their draft. In his most recent mock for ESPN, Kiper has the Texand double-dipping at defense.

Kiper (via Chron) has the Texans taking a defensive tackle out of Illinois, Jer'Zhan Newton at the Texans' 42nd pick. Later in the second round, Kiper has the Texans going with Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil. Both players would give the Texans some much-needed help at both positions, though it should be noted that the Texans already did a lot of overhauling on the cornerbacks at this point.

Focusing elsewhere instead of going for a third or fourth cornerback should be the priority, even if it's just at safety and not at the offensive line.

Kiper did have some other options. At pick 42, Kiper believes that Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter is in play, as is fellow cornerback from Missouri, Ennis Rakestraw. If neither of them works, Kiper also thinks that Jackson Powers-Johnson, an interior lineman out of Oregon would fit.

Later at pick 59, Kiper further suggests that if not Sainristil, the Texan could go with safety Cole Bishop out of Utah, someone we're very high on. Cooper Beebe, a guard out of Kansas State is also an option, and yet another cornerback is on the table with Dru Phillips out of Kentucky being listed as a possible option.