The Houston Texans traded away their own first-round pick a year ago when they traded up to take Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 pick. Thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade with the Cleveland Browns two years ago, they still have a first-round pick, though.
Houston will pick at No. 23 instead of Cleveland this year and NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks wrote that the Texans will draft Washington Huskies offensive lineman Troy Fautanu with their selection.
“With C.J. Stroud blossoming into a franchise quarterback, the Texans must make a concerted effort to keep him protected,” Brooks wrote. “Fautanu would give the team the flexibility to reshuffle the O-line and put its five best pass protectors in front of the emerging superstar.”
The 6-foot-4, 317-pound Fautanu is a versatile lineman who played left guard for the past two seasons but could slide to guard if needed. He finished with a 75.0 Pro Football Focus grade this past season after helping lead Washington to the College Football Playoff title game. For what it’s worth, PFF’s Trevor Sikkema also mocked Fautanu to the Texans.
Fautanu wouldn’t need to start immediately, either, because of Houston’s offensive line depth. Tackles Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard, guard Shaq Mason, 2022 first-round guard Kenyon Green and 2023 second-round center Juice Scruggs proved to be an effective lineup for the Texans this past season. Even rookie center Jarrett Patterson showed his abilities as a backup early in the year.