What player could be the steal of the Houston Texans draft?

The Houston Texans had a quiet draft, with few mega-star rookies with grand aspirations but a lot of guys who will get a shot to play a lot of snaps this season. The expectations on this class are far quieter than say last year, when the Texans acquired C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson, the anchors of the new-look Texans.

This year, the team took Kamari Lassiter, a cornerback from Georgia first, and then Blake Fisher an offensive tackle out of Notre Dame second. Neither guy is expected to start but both could be regulars in the lineups if the veterans ahead of them fumble the ball, so to speak.

As I mentioned, different expectations this year. That doesn't mean, however, that there won't be stars from this class. There is no magical orb that I can see the future with, any of these guys could turn into All-Pros by the end of their rookie contracts. Who's to say otherwise?

Every year there's someone who breaks out, at least almost every year. Usually, those are the guys at the top of the class. The ones who do so from the back end are often referred to as "draft steals". Essentially someone who is taken lower in the draft who dramatically exceeds their expectations.

Guys that I consider draft steals are mostly third-rounders and on. Any earlier in the draft and it's fair to say that there was a fair expectation that they would produce.

So who do I think the Houston Texans breakout player of 2024 can be? That's a good question, Tank Dell was that guy in 2023, but you can't always follow trends. You can't assume that another wide receiver or a third-rounder will be that dude in 2024, just because it was that way the year prior.

This year, I think Jamal Hill may be that guy. He's going to have a lot of opportunities to prove that he can play in this league, as the team is looking to replace Blake Cashman still, and the linebacking corp is pretty shallow.

Hill will get his shot and with his speed, he may just be the guy who pops off the charts the most.