Texans Trade For Aaron Donald? Wild Trade Scenario Sends Future Hall of Famer to Houston
The Houston Texans made some serious headway in 2023, going from perennial bottom dweller to AFC South Champions, and even winning a playoff game.
They did so by having a stellar offseason last spring, finding a new head coach in DeMeco Ryans, their new franchise cornerstones in quarterback in C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., and a new foundation built through veterans and a tremendous rookie haul in the NFL Draft.
However, there is still plenty of room to grow and improvements that need to be made before they can truly contend for a Super Bowl vs. the likes of Kansas City and Baltimore.
And if you ask Bleacher Report, there is one possible solution that could shake the power structure of the AFC altogether.
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In a recent article from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, the publication presents a wild trade scenario that would send future Hall-of-Famer and Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald to the Texans in exchange for a substantial draft haul.
Hypothetical Trade We'd Love to See: 2024 first-round pick (No. 23 overall via CLE), 2024 third-round pick (No. 86 overall via PHI), 2025 fourth-round pick for DT Aaron Donald.
The Rams shocked everyone by getting into the playoffs this season, but this still isn't a contender. Getting another first-round pick and a few others would help them continue to build through the draft... Assuming they can re-sign Jonathan Greenard, they would then be getting after quarterbacks with Greenard (12.5 sacks this season), an emerging Will Anderson Jr. and the best pass-rushing defensive tackle of all-time. Combine that with C.J. Stroud's offense, and the Texans are a real Super Bowl contender.
If the Texans could somehow convince L.A. to part ways with Donald, his addition would create arguably the best defensive front in all of the NFL.
As Bleacher Report notes, the potential combination of Jonathan Greenard, Anderson Jr. and Donald would be extremely hard to pass up for Houston, regardless of the haul they send back.
And with Jerry Hughes, Sheldon Rankins, Derek Barnett and Hassan Ridgeway all pending free agents, the addition of a talent like Donald makes even more sense. That said, it is hard to imagine the Rams moving on from him unless they are blown away by a potential trade offer.
Does the 23rd overall pick in combination with a Day 2 and Day 3 pick accomplish that? That is up for debate.
Either way, as we all saw last spring, the Texans are no longer afraid to make a splash via trade - especially when it concerns draft capital. After all, aggression is what accelerated the Texans' timetable in the first place.
And the theoretical acquisition of Donald could potentially put them over the top.
