The Houston Texans are one of a half dozen teams who have multiple first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Houston currently holds the No. 3 and No. 13 overall picks in the draft, which begins on Thursday night from Las Vegas.
While Houston general manager Nick Caserio said there’s a 99% chance that Houston uses the third overall pick, he recently told NFL Media’s Jim Trotter that there’s a 50-60% chance that the Texans use the 13th overall pick. Additionally, Caserio said that he has talked to 6-8 teams about a potential trade while saying that he is open to trading either up or down in the first round, depending on which players are available on the Texans’ draft board.
Safety, pass rushers, quarterback, offensive and defensive linemen, and receiver are among the positions that are expected to come off the board with the 13th overall pick. Specifically, safeties Kyle Hamilton and Daxton Hill, quarterback Malik Willis, receivers Drake London and Chris Olave, pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II, defensive lineman Jordan Davis and offensive lineman Charles Cross are among the players who may come off the board by that point in the first round. Teams that are in the market for those players may be inclined to trade up into the 13th overall pick.
As noted above, Houston is one of of several teams who may elect to trade one of their multiple first-round picks. The Detroit Lions own the second and 32nd overall picks, the New York Giants hold the No. 4 and No. 10 overall picks, the New York Giants hold the No. 5 and No. 7 overall picks, the Philadelphia Eagles own the No. 15 and No. 18 overall picks, and the Kansas City Chiefs have the No. 29 and No. 30 overall picks in the draft.
Trades have become an integral part of the NFL Draft, particularly during the first round. Three trades were completed during the first night of the 2021 Draft. Last year, NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia traded first-round picks that led to the selections of future Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons and former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. The Bears traded up to acquire quarterback Justin Fields, and the Jets moved up in the first round to acquire offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.
In all, 25 trades were completed during the 2021 draft, a number that will likely be matched or even topped over the next three days.
