Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has shown over the past year and a half he has spent with the team that he has a penchant to wheel and deal.
With the No. 3 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft, the Texans could get a considerable haul if they could move out of the pick in Round 1.
However, Caserio is a realist and knows that the Texans may not find a partner and have to be ready to take a player after the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions go first.
“The reality is probably very few teams are going to want to come up to No. 3, just being honest,” said Caserio. “That’s okay. So probably pick at No. 3, and then No. 13, could we go up, could we go down? Over the next week or so, you’re going to talk to different teams more about positioning, about what’s their philosophy, about what’s their willingness to move.”
Nick Caserio says the team is unlikely to trade the 3rd overall pick.
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While some teams may turn down Caserio’s offers to trade up, some teams could be willing to make a deal to pick quicker.
“Some teams say, ‘We haven’t really thought about that, but okay, maybe we’d consider moving up,’” said Caserio. “I think it’s important to just be open-minded and be flexible, and this goes back to what we talked about at the beginning: the better you understand the players and the better you understand the positioning of the board, it just gives you more opportunities to make good decisions.”
Although Houston may not be able to move off No. 3 overall, No. 13 overall represents an opportunity to make a deal. The New Orleans Saints appear to be a logical team to try to make a claim to move up.
“You just want to make sure you’re prepared, make a good decision, and once you make a decision, you live with the decision, and you move on,” Caserio said.