(SportRadio 610) - So much attention is being given to the Texans owning the second overall pick in the draft and the very real possibility of selecting a franchise quarterback that their 12th pick in the first round is almost getting overlooked.
If the Texans take Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud – the prospect Carolina passes up – general manager Nick Caserio could use his other first-round draft choice on a pass rusher or a big-play wide receiver for his new quarterback.
Before we get into how Caserio might handle his second pick in the first round, let’s get something clear: He doesn’t care what the fans or media think. He cares what Hannah and Cal McNair think, but they won’t force him to draft a player he doesn’t believe in. Caserio will listen to top personnel expert James Liipfert, coach DeMeco Ryans, the coordinators and assistants, but it’s Caserio’s butt on the line, and he’s got to make decisions he believes in, or he’s not doing his job and earning his money.
Now, every time Ryans has been interviewed since being hired, he’s talked about the importance of dominating the line of scrimmage the way the 49ers did in his six years of working for them. Caserio signed two defensive tackles in free agency – Sheldon Rankins and Hassan Ridgeway – who have a combined 14 years of NFL experience. That means a defensive end, an edge rusher, should be high on the Texans’ list of priorities in the three-day draft that begins April 27.
If Caserio uses his first pick on a quarterback, as expected, he could give the rookie another wide receiver. The Texans need a reliable target for the rookie quarterback. Based on Ryans’ philosophy, though, Caserio may prioritize an edge rusher like Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness, Clemson’s Myles Murphy or Georgia’s Nolan Smith.
Having watched Caserio operate since he arrived in January of 2021, he loves to make trades. Trader Nick, so to speak. Don’t be surprised if he trades down from the 12th spot, as he did last year when he swapped with Philadelphia and drafted left guard Kenyon Green with the 15th selection.
Analyzing Caserio’s MO gives us insight into what he might do this year. In 2022, he drafted nine players. Only two, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., and safety Jalen Pitre – came with the Texans’ original picks. The other six came with draft choices acquired from other teams.
As it stands today, the Texans have 12 picks – three of the top 33 and five of the top 73. Of those 12, seven were acquired in trades and one – 259th overall – is a compensatory selection -- the Mr. Irrelevant pick -- that’s last in the seventh round.
If the Texans’ first two draft choices are a quarterback and edge rusher, there’s great value at receiver in the second round. Caserio could draft a highly rated receiver in the first round like TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba or USC’s Jordan Addison. Then, he could use the 33rd pick on an edge rusher like Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV, Kansas State’s Felix Arudike-Uzomah, LSU’s B.J. Ojulari, Tennessee’s Byron Young, Georgia Tech’s Keion White or Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore.
There’s also terrific second-round valuable at wide receiver that includes Boston College’s Zay Flowers, North Carolina’s Josh Downs, Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo, Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman, SMU’s Rashee Rice, LSU’s Kayshon Boutte, Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott and Wake Forest’s A.T. Perry.
Prospects at receiver come in all shapes and sizes – Downs and Flowers are shorter than 5-10. Mingo, Perry, Tillman and Rice are at least 6-1. It just depends on what Caserio, Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik want in a receiver. Some impressive prospects also will be available in the third round, where the Texans have two picks – 65 and 73.
Now, if the Texans bypass an edge rusher or wide receiver with the 12th and 33rd picks, what need position could they fill? They still need a center unless Caserio plans to sign another veteran in free agency as a temporary solution and let him compete with Scott Quessenberry.
Caserio isn’t going to draft a center in the first round, but it’s not out of the question he could use the 33rd pick on a center like Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz or Ohio State’s Luke Wypler. Take one of those three prospects, plug him into the lineup and let him play. They also might solve the need at center in the third round.
Decisions, decisions.
One thing that makes the draft so interesting is looking back at last year and seeing Caserio selected Florida running back Dameon Pierce in the fourth round. Underutilized with the Gators, he was on his way to approaching 1,300 yards as a rookie when an ankle injury ended his season with four games remaining. Caserio can thank Cleveland for Pierce, who was selected with a pick obtained in the Deshaun Watson trade.
Speaking of the Browns, the Texans have two more picks from Cleveland this month -- 12 and 73. They have a third first-round pick from the Browns in 2024.
Caserio has a lot of options. The only thing we know for sure is he’s going to make trades. He gets ants in his pants and can’t sit on his hands because he loves to wheel and deal. The only question is when he’ll start that wheeling and dealing – first round, second, third? April 27 can’t come soon enough.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Thursday on Texans Radio. He writes three times a week and does two Houtopia Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com. He also can be read four times a week on GallerySports.com.