Feb. 27, 2026, 5:05 p.m. CT
What does a perfect draft class look like for the Houston Texans come this April?
While no one has the “right” answer, Pro Football Focus tried to give it a shot.
The Texans have four selections in the first 70 picks come April and could use those selections to make wholesale changes to the roster, both in terms of the immediate and long-term future. With Houston very much in win-now mode behind a rookie contract for quarterback C.J. Stroud, it’s critical for general manager Nick Caserio and the scouting department to hit on all four picks to keep the team’s window open for the foreseeable future.
Ideally, the Texans would love to leave the first two days of the draft with an offensive lineman, defensive tackle, running back and perhaps a linebacker or tight end. That’s the path Bradley Locker took when deciding on the “ideal draft haul” for the Texans in the first three rounds.
While pick No. 67 wasn’t, Locker still made three selections, targeting Alabama offensive lineman Kaydn Proctor in Round 1, Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with pick No. 38 and Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson with pick No. 59
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
“The Texans’ offensive line took steps forward in 2025, but the unit still faces big questions — especially with Ed Ingram on the market. Whether suiting up at guard or right tackle, Proctor (86.1 overall PFF grade) has the pedigree to become a starter for a long time,” Locker wrote. “Likewise, with Joe Mixon’s future unknown, Price could add to an offense that placed 28th in rushing EPA per play.
It may feel odd to draft a defensive player for arguably the league’s top unit, but Houston could have a surreptitious need at linebacker with Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o in the last years of their deals. Lawson (83.6 PFF run-defense grade) could garner the watchful eye of another former Crimson Tide standout in DeMeco Ryans.”
Proctor is expected to learn both tackle and guard at the NFL level. Price should be a stable No. 2 runner to pair opposite the physical downhill playing style of Woody Marks. Lawson would be a situational linebacker, but could fill in as a replacemenet for Al-Shaair following the end of his current three-year contract.
The only glaring issue with this group is the lack of defensive tackle depth. Houston can’t continue to bargain bin at defensive tackle with one-year contracts on proven veterans. While the need to address running back is clear, unless the Texans target a name in free agency, at least one of the two second-round picks should be targeting a long-term interior defensive tackle option.