CBS came out with a new three-round mock and it was a bit of a head-scratcher but always interesting to consider.
Texans traded up in round one going from #23 to #12:
Texans get No. 12 from Green Bay for No. 23, 54 and then chose:
Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
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Yes, the Texans added Matt Kalil to help their league-worst blocking situation, but he hasn't been simultaneously healthy and good in years so counting on him isn't a good Plan A. The better plan: trading up for the best pass-blocking left tackle in this class who can come in and start out the gate, giving Deshaun Watson a chance at surviving in 2019.
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So there goes one of our second-rounders. And the other second, it gets traded down:
Texans get No. 65, 103 from Arizona for No. 55, 161 and selected:
Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
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The Texans make another trade before snapping up a second tackle in Cajuste, who can be the longterm bookend to first-round pick Andre Dillard. Considering their issues blocking last year, Houston should be planning to come out of the first two days of the draft with at least two O-linemen.
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They managed to keep their own third-rounder at #86:
Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
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The Texans focused on the offensive line earlier, but here they add a back who averaged nearly nine yards per carry last year and could potentially quickly emerge as the team's starter at the position.
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We picked up Arizona's first pick of the fourth round and lost our fifth-rounder so we wound up with a higher pick in the first, no seconds, two thirds, one fourth, no fifth, one sixth and one seventh.
Now, my reaction.
Moving up 11 places in the first round and giving away only a second is magical unless the Pack were desperate to trade down and had no other takers. If you *are* trading up like that, Dillard is okay but maybe they should look at some other ideas in the higher-rent district such as (in this mock) ILB Devin White, WR D.K. Metcalf or DE Montez Sweat.
About two months ago, the mocks had Cajuste going in the lower first and Dillard going in the upper third. What changed? Dillard killed it at the Senior Bowl and Cajuste hasn't measured out as well as he looked on tape. You'd get two guys, however, that have legit LT potential so the Texans would, if nothing else, have likely fixed the most important position on the line.
If the Texans wanted Cajuste, why wouldn't they have just taken him in the second and not traded down? I don't think in real life he'll last until the third. It would have been very risky.
As for Henderson, I've never watched him and know nothing about him. I know eventually we need to replace Lamar Miller who has given us more than I would have ever expected. I think I'd still prioritize a CB though.
Your thoughts?