Houston Texans' 2026 Draft Prediction Spells Disappointment

The 2025 NFL Draft has now come and gone, and the Houston Texans appeared to be better because of it.

Without a first-round pick, the Texans used their first selection to draft Jayden Higgins from Iowa State and then their second selection, still in the second round, to take Aireontae Ersery out of Minnesota. Snagging a receiver then a tackle and then another receiver in the third round should help this offense be even more dangerous in 2025.

The Texans went deep in the playoffs last season and had a near-impossible battle with the Kansas City Chiefs on the road after throttling the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in the Wild Card round. With C.J. Stroud at the helm, there's no reason to believe this team is poised to regress next season.

However, ESPN believes they are. In their most recent mock draft, one that looks towards the event in 2026, the Texans are selecting in the first round at No. 21, implying that they won't be one of the ten best teams in the league this upcoming season. ESPN has the Buccaneers selecting at No. 20 and the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22. Suggesting the Chargers will be better than the Texans seems like quite the take.

Houston, in the column by Jordan Reid, continues to bolster its offensive line, adding Francis Mauigoa, a tackle from Miami. That said, with many key names like Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz, Stroud, and many others returning, this team should again reign over the AFC South.

But, winning in the playoffs is a whole different beast, and that's the step that both Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans are going to have to take this next season. Overcoming players Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow in the playoffs is what they must show this upcoming season to get them to that next level.