PFF seems to enjoy the Houston Texans draft class

The Houston Texans might have started with seven draft picks, but ended up selecting nine players in the 2025 NFL Draft across eight different positions. They also split between three offensive and three defensive players, though some will undoubtedly also see action on special teams.

The Texans have four picks in the top 100, but ended up moving around to secure a future 2026 third-round picks. The players the Texans did draft fit a particular skill set that new offensive coordinator Nick Caley and head coach DeMeco Ryans believe can contribute to the team in 2025.

Pro Football Focus has been giving out college football seasonal grades over the past several years and it’s worth looking at how the Texans’ class did to get a sense of how they stood up against college competition. The NFL differs from the Saturday game, but seeing grades is a good barometer for expectations at certain positions.

Here are all the three-year college grades on each Texans draft pick from Pro Football Focus:

Round 2, No. 34: WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State2024: 90.3 (4th of 1040)2023: 85.0 (40th of 1030)2022: 78.2 (6th of 1043)Round 2, No. 48: OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota2024: 77.5 (55th of 643)2023: 84.0 (11th of 629)2022: 61.6 (11th of 610)Round 3, No. 79: WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State2024:62.8 (4th of 1040)2023: 75.5 (1st of 1030)2022: 78.2 (6th of 1043)Round 3, No. 97: DB Jaylin Smith, USC2024: 82.6 (31st of 848)2023: 67.2 (61st of 855)2022: 65.1 (70th of 917)Round 4, No. 116: RB Woody Marks, USC2024: 83.0 (57th of 444)2023: 82.0 (83rd of 445)2022: 77.3 (61st of 459)Round 6, Pick 187: DB Jaylen Reed, Penn State2024: 65.6 (28th of 912)2023: 76.6 (35th of 855)2022: 58.8 (35th of 785)Round 6, Pick 197: QB Graham Mertz, Florida2024: N/A2023: 75.8 (18th of 307)2022: 75.3 (25th of 308)Round 7, Pick 244: Kyonte Hamilton, DL, Rutgers2024: 63.3 (17th of 860)2023: 61.4 (44th of 889)2022: 81.3 (36th of 985)Round 7, Pick 256: Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa2024: 58.8 (77th of 438)2023: N/A2022: 69.8 (57th of 453)