Texans' Nick Caserio Teases Possible Draft Trade Down on Day 2

The Houston Texans could be in the market for another draft day trade in the midst of their day two action.

Knowing the reputation of Texans general manager Nick Caserio, that outcome would be far from a surprise. And it seems to be one he and Houston are at least keeping in mind as they move deeper into the draft.

Following the Texans' first-round pick of Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutledge, Caserio spoke after the draft dove into some of how he and the organization felt about their new offensive lineman and, but he also gave a slight peek at what could be in store for rounds two and three.

"We'll be back to the drawing board here [on day two]," Caserio said. "I think we've got 38, 58, and our pick in the third rounder just got moved down there a little bit. So, we'll try to take advantage of our opportunities."

"I'm sure we'll get some calls. We'll kind of see what makes sense relative to moving back, or sitting and picking. So, we'll just kind of take it one pick at a time."

Nick Caserio on the #Texans deciding to trade from pick 28 to 26 for Keylan Rutledge:

🗣️"I think moving 2 spots... it was just semantics more than anything else."

"Felt like there could be some interest in the player. So we felt like, alright, we'll move up a couple spots..." pic.twitter.com/Kg9mZlOnRE
— Houston Texans On SI (@TexansOnSI) April 24, 2026

It could obviously be typical discussions the Texans have around this time of year, but with three selections through the second and third rounds, Houston's got good flexibility for a multitude of different directions, which could include their second trade to pair with their push to land Rutledge.

Texans Trading Back on Day 2 of the Draft?

Their trade to land Rutledge was a minor one, all things considered. All it took was for the Texans to shift back a little over 20 spots from their 69th selection in round three, and moving off one of their two fifth-round picks on day three.

A trade down in round two or three could look relatively similar in terms of scale, but could be used to recoup some of their capital around that mid-day three range in doing so.

Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio stands on the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston does have four picks remaining in the top 110, which is a nice pool of assets on deck. But they now also have a pretty wide gap where they're not selecting in the back half of the draft, having one selection in the fifth at 141, but only come back on the clock once more in the seventh at 243.

The Texans can stand pat for day three with their current three picks in place, and probably turn out fine.

However, they could also decide to do some typical draft maneuvering to pivot from a day two selection to create further flexibility down the board, which Houston and Caserio always seem to value throughout any draft.

So of course, the Texans will be doing their due diligence behind the scenes to see what offers could be out there.

Don't Hold Your Breath for a Trade at No. 38

Anything is possible for the Texans, so it's hard to completely count this front office out of a trade for any spot they're picking on the board.

But as it concerns their top selection in round two at 38––coming out to be the sixth pick on the board to start day two–it does feel a bit more likely that Houston holds onto that selection as opposed to their other two spots.

Reason being: there's still a nice chunk of talent left on the board from round one that the Texans could value pretty highly as a pickup for their roster, rather than utilizing their spot atop the second round as a trade chip.

That remains especially true at defensive tackle, where potential first-rounders like Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Georgia's Christen Miller are still up for grabs.

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adding an extra day three pick or better in a potential move down from 38 wouldn't hurt. Yet, it's tough to imagine that player having the same impact as a selection within the top 40 would.

Any distance Houston shifts down from 38, the less of that high-end talent that remains, and their options for instant impact players become thinner.

When moving off of 59 or 94 for a minor shift downwards, that drop-off in talent isn't as exponential, and might make that push for an additional late pick a bit more of a worthwhile move.

So as with any draft, stay on your toes as it relates to what the Texans’ plans might be, because there could be another, or multiple, moves in store as it relates to their three scheduled selections.

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