The day after the day after (the day after): The Houston Texans 2024 Draft/Offseason

What the benefit of some longer hindsight provides.

Sure, everyone can have their instant takes, especially in the sports world, and especially with the draft. Yet, sometimes the benefit of a few days after an event, when the proverbial (or literal) hangover subsides, and there is cold clarity. So it is with the NFL Draft and Off-season. With that, some the day after the day after (the day after) thoughts:

• Especially compared to last season, not a lot of “sexy” picks. If none of these guys are Week 1 starters, it doesn’t constitute a huge disappointment. Perhaps Lassiter will be under the most pressure of any of the draft class members to get a starting spot, but that is not a given. What it does show is that Houston feels pretty content with what free agency and previous drafts set up for the starters. If the brain trust sensed any noticeable gaps, then the squad would have been far more aggressive in getting certain players/positions. Houston did make some deals, but aside from the move to get Stover, Houston was more content to let the chips fall where they may.
• That being said, these guys aren’t here to be backups only. The 2-4th rounders will need to be ready to start in 2-3 years’ time. With many of the big free agents on 1-2 year contracts, the potential departure of Tunsil after his most recent contract ends and the not-so-far into the future extensions for players like Stroud, the team will have to manage resources carefully. This class will need to hit at the 3 year mark (2026-2027 season). Case in point, 2nd Round OT Fisher. Right now, plenty of reasons to question that move. Yet, for Houston, one or both of the tackle spots may be open for a new starter in 2026. He was a solid enough pass blocker in college. He’ll make a living as a swing tackle now, but by Year 3, he’ll need to be ready to be a starter.
• Two Day 3 picks that will be worth watching will be TE Stover and DT Harris. Stover is reuniting with his one-time QB, so it will be interesting to see what, if any chemistry, develops between the two. With the Texans’ TE situation uncertain after Schultz (especially if Jordan doesn’t take the next step), Stover will have the chance to see the field. As for the defensive line, usually not much is expected from 7th rounders, but given that Ryans is a firm believer in having a deep defensive line, Harris should have plenty of chances to show what he’s got. That Houston did not get a DT until this part of the draft is a little curious, but Houston did around to selecting one. If Harris can get into the rotation for the interior, that bodes well for a defense with Anderson and Hunter coming off the edge.
• Not shocked that Houston didn’t draft a dedicated interior offensive lineman. Given all the draft capital expended the past two years on that area, the team seems content to let those picks develop. That free agency didn’t yield another interior lineman should make Houston fans think that the team has enough faith in Green, Scruggs, Patterson and the rest of the roster to step up. In particular, Green may be under the most pressure. The squad isn’t quitting on him yet, but Green must lock down that guard spot. If not, the squad does not pick up the 5th year option, and we are looking at the franchise drafting yet another interior lineman.
• While the team seemed fine with no 1st round pick going into the draft, it was curious that they were trying to work their way back into the 1st round Thursday night. This would lead one to think that given how the draft was so offense-heavy early, and how so many prime defenders fell in the draft, the team must have had a target player that was on their board, but didn’t think would fall close to their 2nd round pick. Likely it was for a corner or defensive tackle. Perhaps it was Arnold, who could have been paired with Stingley to try to provide a pair of lock-down DBs, or one of the top DT prospects to try to fortify that interior. Given that the team might have reached with Lassiter, it is likely that a) the player(s) they coveted were off the board and would have cost a price that Caserio wasn’t willing to pay to get, and b) when taking Lassiter, it might have been a fear that CB depth was dropping rapidly by that point on Day 2 and they had to get something.
• The squad seems content to go with Mills/Keenum/Boyle as its backup QB contenders. Thoughts on this were discussed before the draft, but Houston had five 6th-7th round picks and decided not to use one on a backup QB prospect. Not that it is a sin to forgo a backup QB in a draft, but given the limitations of the current backups, it might not have been a bad idea to bring in another arm. If that arm stuck, then that is one less roster headache for the team, especially since the team is likely going to be in the market for a backup QB next off-season. Things could still change as the rest of the year evolves, but figure that a) one of the three players above will be QB2 and b) If Stroud is out for any significant amount of time, the offensive squad is going to be in serious trouble (probably would be anyway, but with this QB line-up…)
• While the ideal would have been another starting CB or DT, it can be a little difficult to be all that critical of the squad for their off-season moves. They replaced, if not improved, several major shortfalls on the roster, added some depth and given what 2023 revealed, should be among the biggest contenders in the AFC this coming season. If nothing else, the fanbase won’t be worried about 2025 prospects as they will be with the prospects for the team in 2024.

With that, we bid adieu to the draft and that phase of the off-season. The next big marker on the calendar will be the schedule release, when we find out where and when the Texans play their 2024-5 schedule in the drive for the Super Bowl.