NFL Draft countdown: Focus on Texans' first-round pick at No. 25

The Texans have No. 1 receiver Nico Collins under contract for three more seasons, but Trapasso believes Houston will look to reload at wide receiver this year. Stefon Diggs is no longer with the team after signing a three-year, $69M contract with the Patriots, and No. 2 receiver Tank Dell could miss the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL in December.

Considering Collins, Dell and Diggs combined to miss 17 games for the Texans in 2024, adding Egbuka to the mix certainly wouldn’t hurt the NFL’s 22nd-ranked offense in 2025.

OT Kelvin Banks Jr. | Texas

In previous mock drafts, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had Houston taking Egbuka as well but thinks the offensive line should be the team’s top priority after trading Pro Bowl LT Laremy Tunsil to Washington.

Even with Tunsil on board, the Texans still allowed 54 sacks last year, 52 to second-year QB C.J. Stroud, who had little to no time to throw for most of the season. Only Bears’ QB Caleb Williams took more sacks (68) in 2024.

Banks was named a unanimous All-American and won the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman in 2024. He missed the SEC championship game with an ankle injury but managed an impressive 42 starts in his college career.

At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Banks has the size to play tackle in the NFL, but most believe he’s better suited to play guard. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes the first-team All-American will be an early starter with run-blocking skills uncommon for a rookie lineman.

TE Colston Loveland | Michigan

Maybe Stroud wouldn’t take so many sacks if he had a reliable outlet like the 6-foot-5, 245-pound former Wolverine. At least, that’s what Josh Liskiewitz seems to think in his latest draft for Pro Football Focus.

Per Liskiewitz, Loveland averaged 2.69 yards per route run in 2024, more than any of the five receivers not named Tetairoa McMillan ranked in the top 50 on PFF’s Big Board.  Loveland led Michigan with 56 catches for 582 yards in 2024 and had 117 receptions for 1,446 yards with 11 touchdowns in three years with the team.

Of course, Loveland could be considered a luxury, given the state of the Texans’ offensive line. Like many analysts, Liskiewitz doubts he has the density needed to play as an inline tight end, something he’ll need to do as a member of the Texans.