Four Teams Texans Could Trade Down With in NFL Draft

The Houston Texans have been no stranger when it comes to trading out of the first round in their past two drafts. And depending on how the board falls in this year's action, there's a real chance the front office makes a similar decision for a third-straight year.

However, if the Texans do decide to place their first-round pick in this year's draft on the trade block, it begs the obvious question of who might be the most likely candidates to partner with Houston in that move around the board.

As with any draft, there's always room for some big surprise teams making eye-catching moves up and down the board. But as things stand just a week out from the events taking place in Pittsburgh, there's a select handful of teams sticking out as clear trade candidates compared to other suitors.

With that in mind, here's a look at four of the most interesting teams who could entertain a trade scenario with the Texans involving their 28th pick in the first round:

Arizona Cardinals

March 25, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Ty Simpson throws during Pro Day in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility at the University of Alabama. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Perhaps the most likely candidate to make a move up the board with the Texans, the Arizona Cardinals could look Houston's way as the perfect trade partner to move up a few spots from their second round pick for a future franchise quarterback in Alabama's Ty Simpson.

The Texans made this exact move in last year's draft when they moved out of their 25th pick with the New York Giants for a second and two thirds, allowing them to land Jaxson Dart. Depending on how vital Arizona sees adding a top quarterback, Houston could have the opportunity to strike on extra value because of it once again.

Las Vegas Raiders

The worst kept secret in the draft leans upon what's to come from the Las Vegas Raiders at the number one pick, as Fernando Mendoza is by far the most likely name to be the first off the board. But if Vegas was eager to add extra help for their rookie quarterback with another first rounder, Houston could be more than willing to assist them in a trade down scenario.

The Raiders having a second rounder at 38 could be a spot Houston is willing to move to, paired with a couple of day three picks to sweeten the pot. For someone like Omar Cooper Jr., a standout wide receiver and former teammate of Mendoza's at Indiana, he makes a ton of sense as someone Vegas prioritizes picking up.

New York Jets

There's nobody in this year's draft who holds more flexibility in terms of future draft picks than the New York Jets. They have eight total picks in the first two rounds through the next two drafts, that gives them endless ammunition to not just add young talent moving forward, but make a trade up the board in this year's first round if they see a talent they can't afford to pass up on.

Especially as the Jets hold the first pick in the second round at 33— a highly coveted draft pick every year— that would be an asset Houston keeps a keen eye on as something they'd be willing to move out of pick 28 for, so long as New York had interest in trading up.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have a real hole when it comes to first-rounders over the next two years, considering both of their picks on day one in 2026 and 2027 are with the Jets due to the Sauce Gardner deal. However, that setup might just give Houston the perfect leg up in trade talks to squeeze out value from their division rival if they wanted back into the first round this year.

Would Nick Caserio be willing to move out of pick 28 in exchange for pick 47 and Indianapolis' 2027 second-round pick? That's a tempting future asset that could pay out big dividends in just a year’s time. But there's no telling just how aggressive Chris Ballard and the Colts will be in what's set to be a pivotal offseason in their own building for their future.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google