Gaine more likely to trade down than up in the draft
General manager would prefer, as a rule, ‘more at-bats’
Unless a coveted prospect experiences an unanticipated fall down NFL draft boards, the Texans are extremely unlikely to trade into the first round Thursday night.
Because the Texans traded away this year’s first-round draft pick to land quarterback Deshaun Watson and gave away their second-round pick this year when they traded $72 million quarterback bust Brock Osweiler to the Cleveland Browns, they lack the prime ammunition to trade into the first 32 selections.
It would take packaging next year’s first-round pick and other selections to get into the first round.
With a trio of third-round draft picks, new Texans general manager Brian Gaine still holds some valuable selections. This is regarded as a deep draft with several intriguing players expected to be available for the Texans, who need to fortify their offensive line, secondary and tight-end positions.
Keeping options open
A trade-back scenario to acquire more draft currency would be more enticing to Gaine. And it doesn’t take a draft values chart to determine the Texans probably will be watching during the first round and perhaps the second round, too.
“On a case-by-case (basis), we’ll measure opportunity when it meets itself,” Gaine said. “If there’s a certain player that’s falling down on the board that we had a very good grade on, certainly we’re always going to talk about that scenario if we have the ammunition and the latitude to go up.
“I would tell you, historically, I would much prefer to go down than I ever would to go up, to get more at-bats, to accumulate more good players. But on a case-by-case basis, if we’re honoring the draft board and we see a player that potentially might be slipping down the draft board and we have the opportunity to go get him and be aggressive, we’ll measure that as well.”
If the Texans maneuver into the second round, a much more likely scenario, which players would motivate them to do so?
Indiana tight end Ian Thomas would fall into that category, along with offensive tackles Brian O’Neill of Pitt and Joseph Noteboom of TCU.
“Ian Thomas could be interesting to them,” said NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein. “He’ got a lot of potential as a blocker. He’s a great physical specimen. He could basically fill the same role as (recently retired tight end) C.J. Fiedorowicz in a year or two.
“O’Neill is a great athlete who needs to get a lot stronger. Noteboom checks a lot of physical standards, but he’s a little inconsistent. Will Richardson from North Carolina State will be there in the third. He’s got some character concerns you’ve got to be OK with. It’s not a great tackle draft.”
Four picks in top 103
The Texans may find it extremely challenging to obtain elite-level talent given their lack of high picks. There’s a strong possibility they’ll add quality players who can contribute and eventually become starters.
“As it relates to not having a first- and second-round pick, there are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue-chip talent and bluechip prospects, but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft,” Gaine said.
“So, if things were standard and we had a first- and secondround pick, a third-and fourthround pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103. Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players we believe in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round.”
Might the Texans move up? It doesn’t sound like that’s happening, but Gaine didn’t rule out the possibility.
“When the opportunity presents itself to be aggressive, we’ll pursue that opportunity,” Gaine said. “And when the opportunity presents itself where perhaps we have to be conservative and we have enough guys on the draft board and we have an opportunity to trade down and still get a good player that we like, we’ll consider that as well.”