Edit: This article was written before the Texans acquired Christian Kirk in a trade.
The Houston Texans entered the 2024 regular season with one of the most lethal wide receiver groups. They already had Nico Collins and Tank Dell on the roster but then traded for Stefon Diggs in the offseason, upping the ante on the offensive side of the ball.
Unfortunately, Diggs was injured halfway through the regular season and Dell suffered a season-ending injury at the end of the regular season, giving C.J. Stroud just one dependable receiver down the stretch. The lack of offensive firepower showed and now, with Diggs set to hit free agency after just one year in Houston and Dell likely missing a good chunk of the 2025 season with that ACL injury, the Texans need help for Stroud.
This week's NFL mock draft roundup has the Texans doing just that, finding weapons to give Stroud for the 2025 season. Two of the three mock drafts chosen for this week have Houston adding a wide receiver with its first-round pick.
Texans linked to wide receivers in latest NFL mock draft roundup
Sports Illustrated: Matthew Golden, WR (Texas)
Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated paired the Texans with Matthew Golden who fans are probably quite familiar with. Not only did Golden spend the 2024 season with the Texas Longhorns but in 2022 and 2023, he played locally with the Houston Cougars and put up respectable numbers while suiting up for them.
Golden put together his best collegiate season in 2024 with the Longhorns, tallying just shy of 1,000 yards and finding the end zone nine times. He averaged 61.7 yards per game and would be a great weapon for Stroud on the field. Plus, he's already familiar with the city of Houston, which is an added bonus.
Grade: A
NFL.com: Emeka Egbuka, WR (Ohio State)
Charles Davis of NFL.com thinks that the Texans should draft Emeka Egbuka with the 25th overall pick and if that happened, Texans fans wouldn't be mad. Egbuka is yet another Ohio State receiver to dazzle in college and he was a big part in helping the Buckeyes win it all this past January.
While Egbuka had his career year in 2022, this past season was no slouch for him. He finished his senior campaign with 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 63.2 yards per game. Stroud also had the luxury of playing with Egbuka at Ohio State, as the two were Buckeyes together in 2021 and 2022.
Grade: A
CBS Sports: Kenneth Grant, DL (Michigan)
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports went in a different direction for his mock draft, connecting the Texans with a defensive lineman. Kenneth Grant might not play as flashy of a position as wide receiver but stopping the run is important too and he'd have the ability to help the Texans do that better.
Edwards also notes that Grant's presence can help free up Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter in the pass-rush. Texans fans love the sound of that.
Grade: A-