The Houston Texans are positioned to be facilitators in the 2026 draft, as a trade out of the first round could be in order, and they figure to have several potential partners willing to make a move up, possibly for Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio has maintained that he will remain aggressive should opportunities present themselves.
There is an increasing expectation that that will be the case.
Texans-Cardinals Trade Pitch Solves QB Quandary
GettyTy Simpson #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up before facing the Auburn Tigers.
The Texans are not navigating quarterback questions, with C.J. Stroud under contract for two more seasons, and backups they like in Davis Mills and Graham Mertz. That, and a generally strong roster, have left many figuring the Texans as a candidate to trade down in the draft.
NFL.com’s Matt Okada proposed a hypothetical scenario in which the Texans trade with the Arizona Cardinals, receiving a package of selections for the 28th overall pick.
Texans get:
- 2026 second-round pick (No. 34 overall)
- 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 104 overall)
- 2027 third-round pick
Cardinals get:
- 2026 first-round pick (No. 28 overall)
“How likely are the Texans to slide down from the late 20s to pick No. 34 so a rebuilding team can snag a potential franchise quarterback in the first round?” Okada wrote on April 14. “Well … they did it last year (with the Giants and Jaxson Dart). They could absolutely do it again in 2026, as Arizona follows our archetypical blueprint to land Alabama QB Ty Simpson as the new face of their franchise (hopefully).”
This deal hinges on no teams being compelled to jump in earlier to select Simpson.
Fittingly, though, QB was the lone position Caserio excluded in saying that the Texans will take the best player available according to their board on draft night. In fact, the Texans could be a team to watch for a QB trade, with Mills in the final year of his contract.
Texans Urged to ‘Stay Put’ in Draft
GettyHouston Texans general manager Nick Caserio on the field before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There is an argument for the Texans to trade out of the first round. There have also been calls for them to make a move up. The third option, standing pat, must also be considered. CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles suggested the Texans “stay put” and make the pick at No. 28.
“With an overwhelmingly talented defense, the Texans are in position to generally play this straight up,” Pereles wrote on April 14. “They could add an interior defender between Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, or they could bring in an upgrade along the offensive line. Maybe a talented linebacker fits the bill.”
The Texans own eight selections in the 2026 draft as of April 15. That includes three in the top 100 and the 106th overall pick.
Round 6 stands as the only pass of the cycle in which the Texans do not currently own a pick.
However, Caserio has two fifth-round selections at his disposal. He could just as easily trade one of those to get back into the sixth. That kind of flexibility is invaluable, especially as teams look to add cost-controlled depth to their rosters in the draft.
Caserio and the Texans could take advantage of the situation. They have been willing to do so in the past, and the stage is set once again.
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