The Day After the Day After…when the uncooked, speedy feelings from the aftermath of a sport diminish into the realm of readability and the proverbial (or literal) hangover now not haunts the thoughts. With that, a overview of the Houston Texans and the 2026 NFL Draft.
Zaniness within the 1st Spherical…yep: With all of the mock drafting that goes on on the market and all of the infinite evaluation of what’s a glorified hiring truthful, you’d assume that any and all prospects could be accounted for coming into the first night time of the draft. Yeah, about that…Certain, you most likely had the Cardinals taking Love at 3. Perhaps you didn’t fairly see the Titans choosing Tate at 4, however a Buckeye receiver going within the prime 5 of the Draft is sort of as fixed as dying, taxes, Caesar and the Northern Star. Nonetheless, all the trades went wild after that. Dallas, Kansas Metropolis, Philadelphia, Buffalo, the New Jersey/New York Jets, San Francisco and the Houston Texans moved up, down and throughout that night time. Gave the impression to be sufficient for Caserio to really feel a way of FOMO with the trades, therefore buying and selling up two spots. Was somebody going to take Rutledge earlier than 28? Rumors point out that lots of groups appreciated this IOL, and perhaps Houston obtained intel that one other staff was going to make a transfer. Want I point out Ty Simpson and the Rams? All in all, putting any religion in a mock drafts is roughly akin to constructing a home on free mud.
DETROIT,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 23: Houston Texans proprietor, chairman, and chief government officer Cal McNair and his spouse Hannah McNair stroll off the sector after an NFL soccer sport between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, August 23, 2025 (Picture by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos) NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos
Did Houston outfox Tennessee? Dunking on the BE-SFs is a Texans’ custom. Once more, if rumors are to be believed, the Texans obtained phrase that different groups, significantly the Giants and Titans, have been Jayden McDonald. That he slid to the 2nd spherical was one of many large headlines coming into Evening 2 of the Draft. The Giants definitely would have cherished him to interchange Dexter Lawrence, who they only traded to the Bengals, and the Titans, with Robert Salah, would additionally want him alongside their D-line. Thus, Houston made one other Draft Day deal, sending picks to get that #36, which gave them McDonald and permitting them to beat out the Titans but once more.
Texans Theme: Toughness. A lot of the picks have been both protection or positions related to physicality. That was by design. Rutledge and McDonald are renown for robust taking part in as inside Oline and DT, respectively. The TE (Klein), nicely, a head-scratcher for the 2nd spherical’, however in principle, he may very well be a troublesome blocker. Then one other guard (Nwaiwu), LB (Woodaz) and security (Ramsey) within the 4th/fifth spherical. The staff did throw in a sure-handed slot receiver (Bond) however then closed out the draft with a LB from the Nationwide Champion Hoosiers (Fisher). Will these all pan out? Too early to name now, nevertheless it received’t be for lack of attempting from the Caserio regime.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 27: Marlin Klein #TE14 of Michigan participates in a drill through the 2026 NFL Scouting Mix at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Talking of Marlin Klein: Of all of the picks by the Texans, his choice is perhaps the one which gave most pause. A 2nd spherical decide on a man like Klein, with solely 12 begins in his profession? Perhaps Houston needs to enter the German market, however until the Texans are taking part in in Berlin subsequent season, however nobody will likely be extra underneath the microscope than this man. Attainable that he evolves into one thing particular, however he doesn’t scream Gronk or pre-murder Hernandez, if that’s what Caserio was considering. In fact, one hopes Klein doesn’t comply with within the footsteps of one other 2nd spherical Michigan TE taken by Houston: Benni Joppru. (Children, ask your mother and father about what this TE didn’t do for the Texans, or within the NFL for that matter).
Any UDFAs price watching?: Whereas a lot of the soccer headlines about participant motion ended with the drafting of Mr. Irrelevant, there’s nonetheless fairly the market in Undrafted Free Brokers (UDFAs). Houston isn’t any exception. As of now, they’re filling out the rosters with these hopefuls that didn’t hear their names referred to as this weekend. Many is not going to make the lower, however that isn’t all the time the case. Lengthy-time Houston followers recall Arian Foster, Jonathan Weeks and AJ Boyne. Perhaps a reputation to contemplate: P Jack Stonehouse. Why the punter? Effectively, Houston did make a cope with the Saints for Kai Kroeger, sending a 2027 sixth rounder for him. Nonetheless, he didn’t precisely set the world afire punting within the Superdome. Townsend wasn’t good, and Frank Ross is likely one of the greatest particular staff coaches on the market, however Kroeger doesn’t have that large an funding in him. Stonehouse might not have lots of hype (what number of punters do?), however he ought to get greater than a good shake on the punting job this preseason.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 24: Basic supervisor Nick Caserio of the Houston Texans speaks to the media through the 2026 NFL Scouting Mix at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Picture by Justin Casterline/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
30: Variety of Draft trades executed by Nick Caserio throughout his tenure: For those who had some cash driving on Caserio making a commerce, you didn’t have to attend too lengthy. Caserio made a cope with the Payments on Evening 1 to maneuver up two sports activities within the 1st spherical to get Rutledge to foremost the offensive inside. He adopted that up with 4 trades over the subsequent two days. Maybe the perfect commerce was the one to maneuver up two spots with Las Vegas to draft McDonald.
6: Complete picks for Houston within the 2027 Draft. For individuals who can’t fairly recover from their draft porn repair, right here is looking forward to 2027. Houston has a 1st, 2nd, third, 4th, fifth and seventh as of now however does anybody assume it’ll stay that method in 12 months (see earlier FUN WITH NUMBERS entry).
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 24: Ohio State Buckeyes defensive deal with Kayden McDonald reacts reacts as he places on a hat after being chosen by the Houston Texans for the thirty sixth decide total within the second spherical within the inexperienced room through the NFL soccer draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Picture by Michael Owens/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Kayden McDonald: A legit first spherical expertise, however one in all two gamers who didn’t hear his identify referred to as within the Inexperienced Room on Evening 1. Goodell apparently requested him to come back again for Week 2. His reward: Going to a staff that now might need the perfect total DL within the NFL. With Will Anderson, Jr and Danielle Hunter as his bookends, McDonald goes to get each likelihood to feast like he did final season at Ohio State. If he can channel his disappointment at not being a 1st rounder into his play, everybody related to Houston goes to be very, very completely satisfied.
The Metropolis of Pittsburgh: Even when they bought trolled onerous (see beneath), they did put collectively one heck of a draft celebration. When you find yourself house to one of many iconic franchises within the sport, you must rise to the event, and so they did. Good for the Yinzers, even when Iron Metropolis Beer will all the time be second greatest to its Texan counterpart,
Our Males on the Floor: Sure, we at Battle Pink Weblog bought a few our guys proper into the maelstrom, even getting the possibility to ask questions of our future stars.
KANSAS CITY, MO – APRIL 29: ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. through the third day of the NFL Draft on April 29, 2023 at Union Station in Kansas Metropolis, MO. (Picture by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos) Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos
SHOULD BE FORCED TO LISTEN TO MEL KIPER JR AND STEPHEN A. SMITH IDIOCITIC RANTS ON THEIR LACK OF ACTUAL, ACCURATE NFL DRAFT KNOWLEDGE ON REPEAT UNTIL THE SCHEDULE RELEASE
Steelers’ Entrance Workplace within the 1st Spherical: Dangerous sufficient that their 1st spherical decide bought swiped by Howie Roseman and the Eagles. Nonetheless, to have that occur when you are on the telephone with the draft decide, and have the Eagles name him when you are speaking, solely to see that the Eagles moved up, by coping with their mortal enemy (Dallas) to get the decide to take your decide…that’s some critical gettin’ trolled in public. Maybe the Steelers nonetheless made an excellent decide, however that can go down in draft lore, and perhaps not in a great way.
Mel Kiper, Jr.: Why hasn’t he retired, particularly when he stated he would years in the past?
Mike Vrabel/Dianna Russini: You’d assume that each of those folks have seen sufficient crises/trainwrecks of their enterprise associations to determine what to do and what to not do. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo. The Patriots received’t fireplace Vrabel, however the trolling he’s about to obtain on the street will likely be epic, and really nicely deserved. Russini, nicely, maybe it’s most telling when Nancy Armor and Christine Brennan, often staunch defenders of their feminine sports activities reporting colleagues, are ripping her a brand new one. All of this proper earlier than the draft. It bought drowned out with the picks and commentary, however wouldn’t it shock anybody to see but extra leaked photographs come out quickly?
With that, the NFL Draft leaves Pittsburgh, with Washington D.C. on the clock for the 2027 Draft. Now we flip our consideration to the subsequent large occasion on the calendar, the schedule launch, at the moment slated for mid-Could (tentatively the thirteenth). Extra to comply with when that comes out.
