With a new head coach and, seemingly, a quarterback successor to Deshaun Watson in place, the Texans could be set up to begin moving forward in a new direction. Acquiring draft capital will be central to their offseason plans, which could include, as ESPN’s Sarah Barshop writes, trading out of the third-overall pick in this April’s draft.
At the start of the offseason, Barshop notes, Texans GM Nick Caserio “hinted” that the team could trade out of the No. 3 slot to add more picks. In a year without sure-fire prospects at the top of the board, not to mention the numerous holes on the roster of a team that has posted four wins in each of the last two seasons, a case could certainly be made in favor of moving down.
If things go according to plan, the Texans will have dealt Watson by the time the draft begins. New head coach Lovie Smith made it clear the team intends to move the 26-year-old before the start of the new league year. He has also publicly supported third-round rookie QB Davis Mills, who is likely to be the team’s starter heading into the 2022 campaign. The Watson situation is still centered around the civil suit against him, though, delays in which could push any resolution deeper into the offseason.
Of course, any Watson trade would likely land the Texans significant draft capital. The same could hold true, as Barshop adds, if the team were to deal veterans such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wideout Brandin Cooks in the name of getting younger and less expensive as a team. If the organization wants to fully commit in that direction, one key element will be their decision with that top pick.
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