What happens when two wheeling and dealing NFL general managers at each end of Interstate 45? It means a trade between the two are likely to happen in the 2022 NFL draft.
According to Cynthia Frelund from NFL.com, who evaluated “win-win” trade scenarios for the draft, one scenario that would behoove both the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys would be for the two Texas teams to swap first-rounders and a little more on day one of the draft.
The Texans would trade their No. 13 overall pick in Round 1 to the Cowboys for their No. 24 overall selection in Round 1 and their No. 56 overall pick in Round 2. Houston would move further back into the first day, and the Cowboys would move into the middle of the opening round.
What motivates Dallas owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones to call fellow GM Nick Caserio is the chance to draft Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.
If Kyle Hamilton slides past the Commanders at No. 11 overall, the Cowboys should dial up Texans general manager Nick Caserio and make a deal. Pairing Hamilton with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn creates the greatest win-share increase for both the Cowboys and the player in 2022, which doesn’t often happen outside of the top 10 picks. For the safety position, think of a very good rookie win-share number as 0.58 wins; Hamilton to the Cowboys creates an increase of 0.74 wins. While giving up a second-rounder isn’t ideal, if they want Hamilton, the Cowboys’ alternative is sweating it out and hoping he lasts even longer on the board.
For Houston, Frelund states that extra picks in the top-100 should help them rebuild their roster rather quickly.
The Texans and their depleted roster need more prime selections. After making this deal, they hold five picks in the top 68 (Nos. 3, 24, 37, 56, 68) and get themselves out of No. 13, which is a lower probability ROI spot.
The Texans have already begun trading picks as Caserio sent all of the team’s Round 6 and Round 7 picks to the New England Patriots for a fifth-round selection.