The Houston Texans don’t make their first selection in the 2021 NFL draft until Round 3 with the No. 67 overall pick.
Picking the deep into the draft presents the possibility that the Texans will miss out on good players. Therefore, the notion to trade up into the second or possibly the first round is a subject of discussion in the Houston sports world.
General manager Nick Caserio told Texans Radio play-by-play voice Marc Vandermeer and analyst John Harris that there are two ways to trade up in the draft: to lay the groundwork ahead of time and also do it spontaneously. Regardless, the movement is related to the players availability.
“Depending on where you’re picking, trades are so player driven,” said Caserio. “A lot of it is contingent on what happens in front of you and as the players come off the board. So, we’re at 67 right now. So, try to make any calls about trades or moving is probably not realistic at this point.”
The Texans did not pick until the third round in 2018 at 68th overall, and they led off their draft with safety Justin Reid from Stanford, who has developed into a quality starter on defense.
If the Texans were to move up for a player, there are a number of factors the team would have to consider.
Said Caserio: “If you get to a certain point, you’re looking at X-number of spots and you’re looking at some of the resources that you have, how much is it going to take for us to get here. Is there a specific player that we want? Is it actually feasible for us to do it? So, we’ve handled it both ways. We’ve done it both ways. But those are very organic. I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily a set formula to them.”
The NFL draft kicks off with Round 1 on April 29. The Texans do not pick until April 30 in the third round.