Five Under-the-Radar Prospects Linked to Texans Before NFL Draft

The Houston Texans sit only a few days away from the 2026 NFL Draft getting underway, and they've been busy behind the scenes unpacking this year's group of prospects to see who might be the best fits for their eight total selections across the board.

Much talk has been about what the Texans will do with their 28th-overall pick, or their four selections in the top 70. But what about further down the board?

When peeking at what the deeper rounds of this year's draft could look like, there's bound to be a good share of intriguing prospects to select from. And when sorting through some of whom the Texans have been linked with interest in, a handful stand out within that range as real candidates to land in H-Town.

Let's unpack five under-the-radar prospects Texans fans should be taking a look at from now until the draft arrives in Pittsburgh:

NOTE: All prospects have had reported top-30 visits with the Texans leading up to the draft.

Kaelon Black | RB, Indiana

Indiana Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black (8) rushes up the field for a touchdown Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, during the 112th annual Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. Indiana Hoosiers defeated Alabama Crimson Tide, 38-3. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Houston made it a priority to upgrade their backfield this offseason with the trade of David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions, though they could still use a young depth piece behind him and Woody Marks to really maximize this running back group.

Enter Kaelon Black, who could be just the guy to bring that spark. He shockingly didn't get an invite to the combine earlier this offseason, but he's logged a ton of interest from various NFL teams, including the Texans, leading up to the draft.

He's measured at 5-foot-9, 208 pounds, is an aggressive runner in the backfield, and a good chance to develop into a change-of-pace guy down the depth chart in the pros.

Caleb Douglas | WR, Texas Tech

Texas Tech's Caleb Douglas looks on after making a play against UCF during a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texans have been rumored with interest in adding depth to their receiver room with one of their selections in this year's draft. Caleb Douglas could fit that bill without investing extremely steep capital in one.

At 6-foot-3, 206 pounds, Douglas possesses good length to be an outside receiver and the chance to be an impactful deep threat if he can iron out his consistency. One of his bigger issues throughout last season was dropped passes, as he logged seven throughout 2025.

However, as a developmental option who can be an explosive downfield threat behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, the Texans may absolutely look his way with one of their four picks on day three.

Miles Kitselman | TE, Tennessee

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman (TE12) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Miles Kitselman certainly isn't the most flashy tight end prospect of those in the class, and won't stand out much as a vertical threat in the offense. But where he does shine is his willingness and toughness as a blocker, which is something the Texans can definitely covet.

Houston did add Foster Moreau in free agency to add that necessary blocking skillset, but another young spark like Kitselman can round out the room with extra youth and depth that helps support the run and someone who can fill in as a piece in multiple-tight end personnel.

Trey Zuhn III | C, Texas A&M

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) lines up during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

An experienced tackle who landed on First-Team All-SEC in 2025, Trey Zuhn could bring the exact competition the Texans are looking for at the center position next to Jake Andrews.

Kuhn will likely project to slide inside from tackle to center or guard at the next level due to his limited frame, but certainly has value in the third day of the draft, and might even have some built-in versatility the Texans could covet on their line as well.

Jalon Kilgore | S, South Carolina

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore (DB39) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Jalon Kilgore is a prospect the Texans have met with extensively in the pre-draft process. Between a reported top-30 visit, along with a formal and informal combine meeting earlier in the offseason, it's clear Houston is interested in what the South Carolina defensive back brings to the table.

USC DB Jalon Kilgore said he’s had an informal meeting with the #Texans. Says he had a good conversation with them. pic.twitter.com/G5Yt3K5b2M
— Jared Koch (@jjaredkoch) February 26, 2026

At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, he has good size for the position and stands out as someone who can support the run notably well and be a good supporting piece in the back-end who can soon develop into a starting-caliber safety.

Houston does have two clearly defined starters at safety in Calen Bullock and Reed Blankenship, along with a developmental piece behind them in Jaylen Reed, but Kilgore could be the finishing touch needed on this group in the back-end to round out their overall depth.

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