The Houston Texans are set to start their portion of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday with the 42nd pick, or the 10th overall pick of the second round if you want to be more exact. The Texans are a team that has constantly been on the move when it comes to draft picks. They've added some, traded away others, and added more. It's gotten to the point that we're not sure what's coming next for the Texans.
They may opt to trade out of the 42nd pick and get more picks to draft more players, or they may look to condense their nine picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and move up from some positions. They have two picks in the seventh and two in the sixth round, so maybe moving up to round five is a possibility.
Yet, what if they took a more bold approach? As our very own Ryan Heckman wrote earlier, the Texans could be moving back into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He wrote about Adam Schefter's report that the Texans could look to make trades on draft day. Something Texans GM Nick Caserio has done 18 times since taking over the position in 2021.
The question of if Caserio makes a move isn't in doubt, it's what move he makes. Some believe he may be trying to angle his way back into the first round, but the question that surrounds that move is "Should he?"
It's certainly an appetizing move on paper. The better and more impactful players often go in the first round, so being able to get back into the top of the draft isn't a bad idea at all. The worry is the cost. It won't be cheap to move up, and it's a question of whether or not Caserio is willing to make the moves needed to do so.
If the right player is there, the cost may be worth it. After all, the right player is the right player regardless of perceived draft value. If he can do it without giving up too much capital, and it's for the right player, it won't be the worst idea to do so. Assuming it pays off in the end, that is.