The Houston Texans are in a different situation than they were in a year ago.
During the 2021 draft prep, the Texans knew they wouldn’t make their first selection until Round 3 (No. 67 overall). However, with the Texans set to pick No. 3 overall in the 2022 NFL draft, the preparation is more intense.
General manager Nick Caserio revealed how the team would approach the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis now that the Texans have their first and second round selections.
“It’s pretty early in the process I would say more than anything,” Caserio told reporters at the combine in Indianapolis on March 1. “You kind of know who’s picking where right now if nothing changes. I think speaking specifically to this week, I don’t think there’s anything that happens or takes place here relative to what players do on or off the field or what happens in a 20-minute interview is going to change what your philosophy is on it, on moving back or making trades or those types of things.”
Caserio said the Texans’ job is to get as much information as they can on the players, which was different than last year given they knew they wouldn’t have access to the first or second round crop.
Said Caserio: “I think the most important thing for us is to kind of know as many players as possible. I’d say relative to last season we’re in a little different position relative to eliminating call it 55, 60 players last year that we knew we weren’t going to have access to. Now I’d say the pool of players is a little bit wider. Just trying to get as much information. I’d say the group that probably is most pressing are the underclassmen because this is really the first opportunity to spend extensively with them face-to-face. A lot of them weren’t at an All-Star Game, so I’d say you’re kind of in the infantile stages.”
Assistant directors of player personnel James Liipfert and Matt Bazirgan will take the information on the players from the combine and help Caserio make the best selections possible during April’s draft.