Four Thoughts on the Houston Texans 2024 NFL Draft Class

When it comes to excitement on NFL Draft weekend, there may never be another weekend like last year, when the Texans selected C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson on back to back picks near the top of the draft. That’s awfully tough for any team to replicate, especially when you consider the early returns on those decisions.

So for this past weekend, you already knew going in that things would be way more chill for Texans fans, especially with the team waiting until Friday night to make its first pick of the weekend, the 42nd overall pick. In the end, the best description for the Texans’ nine man draft class would be “solid and unspectacular,” and honestly, that’s good enough for where this team is right now.

#Texans draft class is ✅:
Rd 2 (42) CB Karmari Lassiter
Rd 2 (59) OT Blake Fisher
Rd 3 (78) S Calen Bullock
Rd 4 (123) TE Caden Stover
Rd 6 (188) LB Jamal Hill
Rd 6 (205) RB Jawhra Jordan
Rd 7 (238) DE Solomon Byrd
Rd 7 (247) DT Marcus Harris
Rd 7 (249 G LaDarius Henderson

— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) April 27, 2024

That said, a good hype video can even make the unspectacular feel spectacular, so here you go:

Texans 2024 Rookie Hype Reel!#WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/QXV2Sfh2lN

— Cody Johnson (@FB_LoneStar) April 28, 2024

Now that you’re appropriately juiced up, here are a few thoughts on the Texans’ rookie class they assembled over the weekend:

A message for the folks angry the Texans didn’t draft a wide receiver….
I saw plenty of upset Texans fans, particularly on Friday night after the second and third rounds, lamenting the fact that the “Texans didn’t get any weapons at wide receiver for C.J. Stroud!” Here is where I remind those people that the Texans DID use draft capital to acquire a weapon for Stroud — they moved back from the 23rd pick to the 42nd pick, and received a 2025 second round pick, which they then flipped for STEFON FREAKING DIGGS, who is a better weapon solution than anybody they could have drafted on Friday. Keep your eye on the ball, folks.

I think people are going to really like Kamari Lassiter
At the Texans downtown draft party on Friday night, there was some mild disappointment among Texans fans, when Alabama CB Kool Aid McKinstry went to the Saints one pick before the Texans’ selection. Lassiter, also a cornerback, was the next pick, and it was met with tepid applause from Texan fans who seemed to want McKinstry. Honestly, no disrespect to the fans at the party, but I think most of y’all just wanted a player named “Kool Aid.” If Lassiter’s name were Kool Aid Lassiter, you’d have cheered like the team won a playoff game. Anyway, Lassiter appears to be the exact type of personality that Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans are looking for, and if you don’t believe me, listen to his college coach at Georgia, Kirby Smart:

Pretty cool stuff from Kirby Smart on new Texans CB Kamari Lassiter. pic.twitter.com/D8CJs5oq2X

— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) April 27, 2024

The biggest surprise was the drafting of offensive lineman Blake Fisher
I figured the Texans would draft an offensive lineman or two along the way, but I was mildly surprised that they used one of their premium picks on Fisher, who is a really good player, but tackle doesn’t feel like a big need, with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard locked into new contract extensions they each signed last year. The flip side, though, is that the offensive line sustained a ton of injuries last season, and worst case, Fisher should provide high quality depth. It will be interesting o see if they give Fisher any reps at guard, or if he was drafted solely as a tackle.

The most intriguing selection was Cade Stover
I’m not just saying that because world famous streamer Sketch announced the pick, although that certainly didn’t hurt the intrigue:

Sketch just announced Houston Texans’ NFL Draft pick pic.twitter.com/pvWa5nThPO

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 27, 2024

Stover, of course, was a teammate of C.J. Stroud’s for two years at Oho State, and he was one of the better tight ends in the country by the time his chose to head to the NFL. However, it’s his journey that makes him interesting. Stover was raised on a farm, a background he very much leans into. After playing running back in high school, he went to Ohio State and started out as a defensive end. He then flipped over to the offensive side of the ball in 2022, so he’s only been playing the tight end position for a couple seasons. In other words, there is a lot of untapped potential there.

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