Texans made bold trade in latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio is known for making trades. He's not afraid to pull the trigger on a player he believes can be an immediate star.
Could that be the case in 2025 when the Texans enter the first round of the NFL draft in Green Bay? According to NFL.com's Chad Reuter, that's exactly what's in store on Thursday night.
The Texans send multiple picks to the Miami Dolphins to move up 12 spots and select at No. 13. That's a bold move for a team with only six draft picks, but it gets weirder.
With the 13th pick, Houston targets Georgia All-American and Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jalon Walker to shore up the second level of the defense for the long haul.
'The Texans showed they are willing to make a big move for a special player when they traded up for Will Anderson Jr. two years ago,' Reuter wrote. 'Walker can blitz, play the run at the second level and line up on the edge. Houston sends its first-, second- and third-round selections to Miami for this pick and a fourth-rounder.'
Walker's breakout season in Athens is worthy of first-round buzz. The do-it-all defender finished with 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and a pair of pass breakups in coverage.
For a DeMeco Ryans' defense, Walker seems like a plug-and-play fit. Houston's inability to find consistency in the position led to mixed results in run support from Azeez Al-Shaair, Christian Harris and Henry To'oTo'o.
The problem with the selection is the draft capital being lost. Rueter said Houston trades away its next two picks to grab a fourth in return. The Texans aren't good enough to ship valuable assets off like its 2019 counterpart to land Laremy Tunsil before the start of a season.
Even better, Houston doesn't need a linebacker. Could the franchise bring in one this offseason? Sure, but when asking what are the top needs in the draft, most Texans fans would say offensive line help.
The second-most popular answer? Wide receiver. Then sprinkle in defensive tackle, safety, offensive tackle, and tight end before a conversation on linebacker even starts.
If Walker were to fall to No. 25 and ended up being the best player on the board, Houston shouldn't ponder if selecting him is the right move. It is.
In a trade-up that won't have them selecting until Day 3? Hard pass.
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