2024 TEXANS DRAFT - DAY 3 (Rounds 4-7)

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The Texans started the 3rd and final day of the 2024 NFL Draft with 6 picks scheduled, and they do end up making 6 picks, but they didn't stay put in doing so. Texans GM Nick Caserio was on the phone right off the bat with the Eagles once again. This time the Texans want to move up 4 spots in the 4th to the Eagles spot at #123. To do that the Texans give Philly their pick at #127 and a 5th round pick next year.

TE Cade Stover - Ohio St

And with the 23rd pick in the 4th round, #123 overall, the Texans select TE Cade Stover from Ohio State. Wait, isn't there an important player on the Texans from Ohio State recently? Yes, yes there is. That would be QB C.J. Stroud, who will be reunited with his former TE. The last time Stover had Stroud throwing him passes was 2022 where Stover had 36 catches for 406 yards and 5 TD. Stover put up even better numbers without CJ last season with 41 catches for 576 yards, and 5 more TD, and was Big 10 TE of the year.

Stover started as a LB in his redshirt freshman season with the Buckeyes and moved to TE the following year. Stover is a catch first, block second TE who will need to improve sustaining blocks in the NFL.

LB Jamal Hill - Oregon

The Texans don't have another pick until the 6th round where they stay put on their pick at #188. And with that pick the Texans select Oregon LB Jamal Hill. A former safety turned LB gives him elite speed at the position, but that also makes him a little undersized for the position. Hill can get sideline to sideline in a hurry and is a good tackler. Hill could be a plus at spying on mobile QBs and keeping them contained. He will need to work the mental aspects of his game as his lack of experience at the position has him missing reads and taking inconsistent paths to the ball. A little more strength and weight wouldn't be a bad thing either. As with most players in the later rounds, Hill's biggest contributions will likely be on special teams.

After drafting Hill at #188, the Texans were scheduled to make the very next pick in the 6th, #189, but the Lions wanted to move to that spot. So the Texans let them have it for their pick at #205, still in the 6th round, and pick #249 in the 7th round.

RB Jordan-Louisville

So the Texans next selection is at #205, 29th pick of the 6th round, where they take Louisville RB Jawhar Jordan. Right off the bat, Jordan is a tiny dude to be a RB, 5'9", 172 lbs. We're talking Tank Dell small with this guy. Jordan rushed for 1,128 yards for the Cardinals last year, averaging 6.2 YPC with 13 TDs. He also added another 246 yards and a TD through the air on 21 catches. Jordan does have 2 career kickoff return TDs, and with the NFL rules changing on kickoffs, this could be a potential factor because I just don't see this tiny guy consistently running the ball into the mass of humanity of giant d-lineman and LBs. His size will also make it difficult to keep him in there trying to pick up blitzes as well. Yeah, if Jawhar Jordan is going to make it in the NFL it's likely going to have to be as a return specialist.

That takes us to the final round where the Texans have 3 picks scheduled, and they will actually stay put on all 3. This will be just the 2nd time in Texans history that they make 3 selections in the 7th round, the only other time being 2004. And the last time the Texans made multiple 7th round picks was in 2014. So it seems like every 10 years they go nuts in the 7th round.

DE Byrd - USC

Their first pick in the 7th is at #238 overall, and it's USC edge rusher Solomon Byrd. Byrd played 4 years at Wyoming before transferring to USC. After a redshirt freshman year in Laramie, he had a career high 6½ sacks for the Cowboys. Last year he had 6 sacks and 11 tackles for loss for the Trojans. On tape Byrd doesn't really stand out physically and athletically and seems to have trouble breaking free from blockers. When he does get to the QB he's been at forcing fumbles, 4 last season. Byrd is projected as a bottom of the roster/practice squad, but again, that is usually the case for these late round picks, particularly 7th rounders.

DL Harris - Auburn

The next pick for the Texans is at #247 where they take Auburn DL Marcus Harris. Harris transferred from Kansas after the 2020 season where he led the Jayhawks with 7½ tackles for loss. Last year with Auburn, Harris had career highs in sacks (7½) and tackles for loss (11½). He started all but 1 game with the Tigers the last 3 seasons. Harris was a projected 5th rounder so the Texans get good value here at the end of the draft. He's undersized and likely to get push around by the big nasties in the NFL, and that's likely why he was still on the board in the 7th. He does have good quickness to get inside and make tackles.

Henderson

The Texans wrap up their 2024 draft with the 9th pick from the end, #249 overall. And with tht pick they go OL with LaDarius Henderson from Michigan. Just a 20 game collegiate career for Henderson who transferred from Arizona St. after 2022, where he played in just 6 games for the Sun Devils. Last season Henderson made 1st team All Big 10 with the national champion Wolverines. And of course, with Michigan winning the national title means the last game Henderson played in was at NRG Stadium. Henderson has a 7 foot plus wing span with strong hands, has good quickness, and is a plus in run blocking, but lacks consistency, gives up on blocks too early, could use work on recognizing twists, and is below average taking on a heavy bull rush.

So that will do it for the 2024 NFL Draft. Tons of undrafted players are soon to be signed, if they haven't been already, and off-season workouts will be starting soon. The Texans will get things started a little earlier than other teams this season because they will be playing an extra pre-season game with the Bears in the Hall of Fame Game on August 1st.




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