HOUSTON – Nick Caserio worked the phones relentlessly, attempting to wheel and deal as the Texans general manager explored potential trade-up scenarios.
Rather than make a selection in the first round with multiple offensive linemen and wide receivers off the draft board, the Texans traded back.
Recommended Videos
KPRC 2 had reported previously that Caserio was exploring trade-up and trade-back scenarios. Ultimately, Caserio traded back with the New York Giants.
The Texans sent their original 25th overall pick to New York in exchange for the Giants’ 2025 second-round draft pick at No. 34 overall along with a third-round pick at 99th overall this year and the Giants’ 2026 third-round pick.
By the time the Texans were on the clock, wide receivers Matthew Golden and Emeka Egbuka were both off the board along with offensive linemen Kelvin Banks Jr., Tyler Booker and Donovan Jackson.
Jackson went one pick before the trade to the Minnesota Vikings with the 24th overall selection. The versatile All-American from Ohio State, an Episcopal graduate, had hoped to join his hometown team, but went off the board before they could pick him. Jackson was under consideration at No. 25. He was also a potential trade-back option.
Trade inquiries to go up and get Banks, the Outland trophy and Lombardi award winner and a consensus All-American from Texas who went ninth overall to the New Orleans Saints, weren’t feasible in terms of how much the Texans would have to give up. David Mulugheta, the agent for Banks, told KPRC 2 hours before the draft that the Summer Creek graduate’s ceiling as far as draft outlook was in the top seven to 10 selections with a floor of 12th. Banks went right in the middle of that range.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Booker, a massive Alabama guard described as the Will Anderson Jr. of the Crimson Tide offense with the 12th overall selection. The Cowboys preferred picking Booker, a potential replacement for retired Pro Bowl guard Zach Martin, rather than work a trade with their NFL state rival. The Cowboys wanted the player, not a trade.
“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.”
#Texans general manager Nick Caserio on trading out of first round said multiple trade up potential deals were explored and teams didn't want to trade @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/wTMTdsEh0m
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 25, 2025
The predicted run on offensive linemen unfolded in a major way as LSU All-American Will Campbell went fourth overall to the New England Patriots, followed by Missouri tackle Armand Membou to the New York Jets with the seventh pick, Banks to New Orleans, Booker to Dallas, North Dakota State standout Grey Zabel, who excelled at the Senior Bowl all-star game, to the Seattle Seahawks at 18th overall.
Why couldn’t the Texans trade up? Well, a trade requires a trading partner. The other teams preferred to pick, not trade out.
“Trades are just two parties have to agree on what they think the value is,” Caserio said. “I say for the most part you’re in the ballpark. Now, if something is so egregious you have to make the determination, OK, is it worth essentially forfeiting three for one, for who for what?
“You have to weigh that calculus. Most teams kind of view the trade value similarly. Some teams, they view it a little bit differently. So, we can’t control that, but here are the terms. Here is what we think that position is worth. Here is what we think that spot is worth. If you agree, great. If you don’t, no problem. Keep moving.”
Even before the Texans were close to their pick, they began positioning themselves to move back when the draft was in the upper teens, per Caserio. The Giants engaged in a trade so they could land Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“Yeah, probably like way before we probably were picking,” Caserio said. “So, I mean, we were kind of looking, I would say, in the upper teens there a little bit. There were some opportunities. So, we were talking about it. It wasn’t like we waited until 25 and all of a sudden ..
“At one point, we had I think three or four trades potentially on the board before we got to 25. Then, we got to 25 still had a couple scenarios. Teams were looking at some situations. We took what we felt was the best offer and what the best decision for us was at that time, so we made the move.”
Once the Texans traded out of the first round, Oregon All-American tackle Josh Conerly Jr. joined the Washington Commanders at 29th overall as he’ll team up with former Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. And the final pick of the first round was Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons, who’s coming off a torn patellar tendon.
“I don’t think there was really a consensus on a lot of grades,” Caserio said. “Honest to God, if you look at some of the mocks, where some of guys were mocked and where they went, it wasn’t even close. Again, players come off the board when they come off the board.
“That’s all we can do is, go through our information, try to figure out where we think the best spot for us to take that player. So, again, we made multiple calls I would say picking a lot higher than where we are, so if teams aren’t interested, they’re not interested. Nothing we can do about it.”
When it came to the Vikings’ pick for Jackson, Caserio indicated that the Texans were already ready to move back at that point.
“I think we were prepared for either way,” he said. “So, look, we were always prepared to pick at 25. We had some parameters in place already before we got to our pick, like I said a little bit earlier. So, I would say that pick isn’t really have any bearing or relevance necessarily. When the pick goes in, the pick goes in, and then you adjust and react accordingly.”
In a draft universally described as deep, including offensive line and defensive line, the Texans, after trades with the Giants and Cleveland Browns, now have 10 remaining picks:
Second round: 34th
Second round: 58th
Third round: 79th
Third round: 89th
Third round: 99th
Sixth round: 179th
Sixth round: 216th
Seventh round: 236th
Seventh round: 241st
Seventh round: 255th
“We have more flexibility,” Caserio said. “We have some optionality. We have the ability to move up and down a little bit. There’s still a number of good football players out there that we really like up there. We’re probably not going to get everybody, but there’s probably going to be some players that we feel good about that we feel are going to be an asset to our program.”
How the Texans proceed with the draft capital will be instructive to how they view their roster, especially an overhauled offensive line after trading Tunsil. The Texans could line up today with a few potential configurations, including Cam Robinson at left tackle, Tytus Howard at left guard or right tackle, center Jarrett Patterson, Juice Scruggs or Ed Ingram at right guard and Blake Fisher at right tackle.
The Texans still have some good offensive linemen to consider with the second overall pick of the second round. That includes Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year who visited the Texans and had a strong game against Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter, North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton, another Senior Bowl standout, 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. Tight end has some solid options, including Miami standout Elijah Arroyo, who visited, LSU tight end Mason Taylor and Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson.
“Everything is fluid,” Caserio said. “You’ve got to be flexible and adaptable and be ready to move and take the information. You have a good pretty good sense or feel for what you think is going on in the rest of league. A lot of guys that were picked and where they were picked didn’t surprise us.
“They may have surprised other people because they weren’t thought of to go that high. We talked to even some agents, ‘This guy is going to go way higher than people think he’s going to go,’ and they agreed and we were right. Doesn’t mean we are right on everything. Means we had a sense and feel for maybe how we thought this was going to go.”
Caserio said that there is at least one player the team considered drafting at 25th overall still available.
“One of the players that we were talking about is actually still on the board, yeah,” Caserio said. “Whether or not we actually pick the player, we’ll see if that actually happens.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
