Texans & NFL Draft Order: How High is Houston?
In a way, losing isn't the worst thing for the rebuilding Houston Texans.
Houston's 23-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers ends a two-game winning streak for quarterback Davis Mills. The rookie, who helped the Texans average 34 points over the past two games, finished with 163 passing yards and a touchdown, but also threw a costly interception in the third quarter.
Trey Lance, the 49ers' third overall pick last April, made his first start since Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. There's room for improvement, but Lance showed upside as the team's future starter, passing for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Of San Francisco's 416 total yards, 278 came in the second half.
The Texans' loss will keep them "ahead" of the New York Jets for the third overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. New York (4-12) had the chance to pull off the upset over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a 33-yard touchdown to Cyril Grayson with seconds left propelled the Bucs to a 28-24 win.
The Jets won the head-to-head matchup in Week 12 over the Texans, giving them the tiebreaker in terms of record.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) remain in the top spot following a 50-10 loss to the New England Patriots. The Detroit Lions (2-13-1) fell to the Seattle Seahawks on the road, but a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers puts keeps them in line for the second overall pick.
The draft order still could change based off the outcome of Week 18. Should Houston defeat the Tennessee Titans, plus Jets loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Texans would own the fourth overall selection.
The Texans still could end up with the fifth overall pick should they win and the New York Giants lose to the Washington Football Team, along with a Jets loss. The Carolina Panthers (5-11) defeated Houston in Week 3, giving them the tiebreaker over Houston should both teams finish 5-12.
Houston has options when selecting early. Should general manager Nick Caserio look to fix the offensive line, Alabama's Evan Neal or North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu are favorites to be selected thanks to their versatility.
If the Texans look to improve defensively, the question comes down to which position should they address. Houston has been linked to Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson if they look to fix the pass rush.
Should Thibodeaux and Hutchinson be off the board, the Texans could upgrade their secondary with either Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth or Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.
