Draft time is rife with rumors. On Thursday, hours before Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft kicked off, there was an ESPN report that the Houston Texans were trying to get back into the first round.
Such rumors are hardly worth the attention. Last year, there were rumors the Dallas Cowboys, who lacked a first-round pick, were trying to get back into Round 1. Of course they were. Every team explores every option. It’s not a lie, but it’s also not bullseye accurate about the situation.
If there is one rumor that has any credence, it’s that the Texans are looking to trade back from their 40th overall pick in Round 2. Consider the source: John McClain, “The General,” from the Houston Chronicle on the “Texans Talk Podcast.” He isn’t a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter and Dick McCann Award winner for being wrong.
If McClain is right again, and Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien is looking to trade back from their second-round selection, then it’s the wrong move.
Sure — trading back sounds sexy when approaching the draft, but as the 2020 NFL Draft has taken shape, where there was a run on offensive linemen, the three best receivers fell to the middle of the first round, and four quarterbacks were taken, it has pushed considerable high level defensive help into the second round.
The Texans are eight picks away from addressing safety or edge rusher, and in a meaningful way, not with a prospect in the 150-200 range. Houston could pair Grant Delpit with Justin Reid. They could have Terrell Lewis coming off the edge alongside J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus. They could have Ross Blacklock picking up where D.J. Reader left off in the interior of their defensive line. If the Texans were really bold, they could take a starting caliber guard and get younger at right guard.
The draft has broken in quite a way that no one predicted in their many mock drafts. The 40th overall pick is truly like a first-round pick this year. “Trader Bill” needs to stand pat and not trade down, risking a significant upgrade for a couple extra selections.
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