HOUSTON – Nick Caserio left the stadium late Thursday night with a deep inventory of draft capital in the second and third rounds and the knowledge that he has the ability to land many players he wants to add to the Texans’ roster.
The general manager maneuvered out of the first round in a trade with the New York Giants as they selected Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. Where that left the defending AFC South champions is with a lot of ammunition to select highly-graded prospects and to wheel and deal to position themselves up and down the draft board.
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The Texans have 10 total remaining selections, including the 34th overall pick of the draft in the second round and the 58th overall selection, plus a trio of third-round draft selections: 79th overall, 89th overall and 99th overall.
“We’re in a good spot,” Caserio said during a late night press conference at NRG Stadium. “We had three different scenarios: trade up, stay a 25 and pick, trade back. I don’t want to say we talked to the whole league, but probably talked to the whole league on every different level. There were some players we identified, some were out of reach.
“We think we’re going to get some pretty good football players. We felt like value of the draft was basically in the middle, so we’ll try to take advantage of some our opportunities here. We put ourselves in pretty good position for next year as well.”
Because the Texans want to upgrade their offensive line, there’s a good chance they address that spot in the second round.
University of Minnesota left offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, a consensus All-American selection named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, visited the Texans, according to a league source.
Ersery had visits with the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and the Vikings.
Ersery was regarded as a potential late first-round draft pick and a prime target for teams in the second round that pass on a tackle early.
Ersery provides a massive, long-armed presence at the line of scrimmage at 6-foot-6, 331 pounds. He plays with heavy hands and quick feet and could also be deployed at right tackle. His timing on double-team blocks and in space both get high marks.
Ersery graded out well against Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter as they matched up one-on-one throughout that game. Ersery did a nice job of preventing Carter from using his superior speed, getting a consistent hand punch and keeping his shoulders square and not losing leverage.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ersery was named All-Big Ten Conference the past two seasons with honorable-mention notice in his third season for the Golden Gophers.
Ersery ran the 40-yard dash in 5.01 seconds at the NFL scouting combine with an impressive 1.75 10-yard split. He had a 29 1/2 inch vertical leap, a 7.81 three-cone drill and a 9-3 broad jump. He bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times.
Ersery started a dozen games at left tackle for an offense that averaged 26.15 points per game, 115.6 rushing yards per game and 222.15 passing yards per game. According to Pro Football Focus, Ersery gave up just one sack and one quarterback hit in 398 pass blocking snaps.
Ersery started the final 38 games of his career at left tackle.
North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton engulfed pass rushers all season and planted them onto the turf.
One of the most imposing offensive tackles in the draft at 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, Belton excelled at the Senior Bowl all-star game as he stonewalled speed and power moves.
During the past three seasons for North Carolina State, Belton represented an extremely difficult matchup for defensive players. He regularly knocked down linemen with heavy hands. And Belton displayed an ability to reset and create leverage, shifting his body into position to shut down upfield rushes or stop bull rushers. He can also reach the second level.
NFL teams have definitely taken notice of his massive, road-grading presence, especially as a run blocker.
Belton had 18 top 30 visits, according to a league source, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals. He was scheduled for a visit with the Texans, but had such a busy level of activity he didn’t get to come to NRG Stadium.
Belton, who has 33 7/8 arms, is regarded as a strong first-round to second-round draft target. He has outstanding mobility for his size with a 40-yard dash of 5.26 seconds.
Speed isn’t pivotal for an offensive lineman, though, but it shows his athleticism and explosiveness. And Belton was ultra-reliable as a three-year starting left tackle as he racked up 2,216 snaps during that span.
The tape never lies.
Belton picked up a nickname during his time with the Wolfpack with strength coach Dantonio Burnette naming him after a luxury SUV.
“He said I move like an Escalade,” Belton said.
Belton has consistently drawn praise from the Wolfpack coaching staff, including head coach Dave Doeren, for his mentality for the game.
“He’s in really good shape,” Doeren said last fall. “His practice habits have become escalated as far as the urgency and the focus. Anthony likes to have fun. He’s got a great personality, and sometimes that gets too close to the game for him.
“Being able to compartmentalize those things, this is work, this is fun, and knowing when it’s time to do both, he’s really grown up. He’s had a really good fall camp, and I’m excited for him.”
Belton allowed just three sacks last season and 12 pressures, and two sacks two seasons ago.
Belton models his game after several top offensive tackles, including Penei Sewell and Laremy Tunsil.
Belton has positional flexibility, because he can play either tackle spot or even guard if needed, but is viewed as a left tackle.
“I’m a guy who can move, especially at my size,” Belton said. “I can compare with any when it comes to power, speed, finesse. I’m ready for anything.
“I’m just ready for the unexpected because that’s what comes on the offensive line. You’ve got to go against different defenders and it’s about how you prepare yourself, how you react, how you bounce back when you lose.”
The full list of visits reported by KPRC 2 includes:
Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III
Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (Minnesota Vikings)
Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden (Green Bay Packers)
Texas running back Jaydon Blue
Western Kentucky corner Upton Stout
LSU guard Miles Frazier
Texas defensive tackle Luther Broughton
Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins
Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant (Miami Dolphins)
USC corner Jaylin Smith
Mississippi wide receiver Tre Harris
Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery
Connecticut offensive tackle Chase Lundt
Michigan State offensive guard-center Luke Newman
Ohio State defensive tackle Tyliek Williams (Detroit Lions)
North Dakota State offensive tackle Grey Zabel (Seattle Seahawks)
South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner
Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart (Cincinnati Bengals)
Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton
Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson
Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo
William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant
North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton (scheduled, didn’t visit)
USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
Central Florida corner Mac McWilliams
East Carolina corner Shavon Revel
Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams
Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
UCLA edge Oluwafemi Oladejo
Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer
SMU running back Brashard Smith
The Texans’ other offensive line options include Georgia guard Tate Ratledge, Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo, Arizona lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum.
Wide receivers available include Missouri’s Luther Burden III, Washington State’s Kyle Williams and Ole Miss’ Tre Harris, who both visited, TCU wide receiver Jack Bech along with Iowa State wide receivers Jailyn Noel and Jayden Higgins.
The Texans had a Zoom call with Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson and brought in Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins for a visit.
Texas running back Jaydon Blue, a Klein Cain graduate with 4.25 speed who visited, told KPRC 2 that the Texans indicated they wanted a speed back to go with Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon.
Tight end has some solid options, including Miami standout Elijah Arroyo, who visited, LSU tight end Mason Taylor and Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson.
Defensive tackle, including Toledo’s Darius Alexander, Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders, Texas’ Alfred Collins and Longhorns teammate Luther Broughton all make sense.
Missouri star wide receiver Luther Burden III visited the Texans, according to a league source.
He also visited the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Burden is a fast, physical wide receiver who excelled at contested catches and is known for his toughness and route versatility.
At 6-foot, 206 pounds, Burden has run the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds.
He caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns last season and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference. Two seasons ago, he was a second-team All-American with 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
Inconsistency at quarterback was an issue during his collegiate career, but Burden largely overcame those circumstances.
A former blue-chip recruit who caught 20 touchdowns as an all-state selection as a senior growing up in St. Louis, Burden was one of the most sought after football players in Missouri.
“I just want to show that I’m the best on the field at all times,” Burden said at the NFL scouting combin. “I’m just coming here, got my head down, chip on my shoulder, and just ready to work. I can play anywhere. I got a mentality. As soon as I get the ball, trying to score, trying to put my team in the best position to be successful."
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
