Feb. 26, 2026, 1:56 p.m. CT

What’s the right move for the Houston Texans when it comes to drafting a player in the first round?

Is it offensive tackle?

Is it guard?

Is it on the defensive side?

Any one of those positions would make sense for the Texans in Round 1 and few would bat an eye. As for running back? Unless Houston is trading up for Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame, a selection at No. 28 would be a massive reach, causing fans to grad their pitchforks and torches while gunning for general manager Nick Caserio.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Texans drafting a Notre Dame running back in Round 1, but not the one that will ease the tensions of Houstonians on draft night.

Kiper released his recent mock draft ahead of the week’s combine in Indianapolis. With legitimate options on the table to shore up the right side of the offensive line this offseason, Kiper went in a different direction, selecting running back Jadarian Price over several interior linemen in the process.

“Per ESPN Research, this would be the fourth time two running backs from the same school both went in Round 1 — and the first time since 2008, when Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were Day 1 selections. But just because Price was second on the Fighting Irish‘s depth chart to Jeremiyah Love doesn’t mean he can’t be an RB1 in the NFL. He’s a powerful runner who plays a one-cut-and-go brand of football. There are ball security concerns (four lost fumbles over three years), and we haven’t seen a ton from him as a pass catcher, but Price is dynamic. He ran for 11 touchdowns, caught two TD passes and scored two more times on kickoff returns last season.

“The Texans lacked juice in the run game. Woody Marks is probably more of a change-of-pace guy, Nick Chubb is a free agent, and Joe Mixon’s future is uncertain. Time for an upgrade.”

Price, who helped Notre Dame post back-to-back top 10 rushing offenses over the last two seasons, has been linked to the Texans for a while through mock drafts, though most have him landing with the Texans on Day 2. While his 674 rushing yards don’t scream early round selection, keep in mind Price has averaged over 6.0 yards per carry for his career while totaling 21 touchdowns in three years.

The problem with the mock isn’t that Houston targeted Price, but rather who was left on the board. One pick after Houston found its new leading rusher, the Los Angeles Rams selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller. And both Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and Oregon offensive lineman Emanuel Pregnon, two names linked to the Texans at pick No. 28, were nowhere to be found in the first 32 picks.

The Texans own eight picks in the upcoming draft, including four in the top 70. Price should very much be on Houston’s radar after the lackluster performance from the franchise without Joe Mixon, but taking him before an offensive linemen in just asking for trouble.