Why don't the Houston Texans have their own first-round pick in 2024?

The Houston Texans had an incredible 2023, proving to many that they are ahead of the curve with regard to the rebuild. They have their coach, their quarterback, and most of their young core. They are in a great position and will look to use the 2024 offseason to further build up their roster. They'll use trades, free agents, and the NFL Draft to hopefully get a team that's good enough to make it to the AFC Championship.

There's just one problem, they don't have their own first-round pick in 2024. The Texans are without their first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But why? Well, if you may remember the Texans owned the second overall draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A pick that came to them because Lovie Smith won them their last game of the season, dropping them from first to second in the draft order; just behind the Chicago Bears.

The Bears traded with the Carolina Panthers and the Panthers then selected quarterback Bryce Young. The Texans then selected C.J. Stroud. Calls were coming in for the Arizona Cardinals at the third spot and eventually, the Texans were the ones that got them to listen. The Texans had their eyes on prized prospect Will Anderson Jr. and came to a deal with the Cardinals for that pick.

For the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cardinals got the 12th overall pick in the draft (from the Cleveland Browns trade for Deshaun Watson), a second-round pick in 2023, and the first-round pick in 2024. That first-round pick was in fact this year's pick from the Houston Texans.

That doesn't mean that the Cardinals took the Texans' only first-round pick, however. The Texans still have the Browns first-round pick in 2024 as well, meaning that the Texans still have a chance to land someone worthwhile in the first round.