Texans Land Major Offensive Upgrade in Latest NFL Mock Draft

The Houston Texans are entering this year's NFL Draft with the 28th-overall pick at the back-end of the first round, headlining their nine selections––one more first-round pick at their disposal compared to the past two years due to various trades, and can offer the perfect chance to add another young asset to one of the best rosters in the AFC.

As to how that pick could be utilized, the offensive side of the ball sticks out as the most likely direction––and in particular, the offensive line might be the best area to attack in an effort to repair their most highly discussed weakness from the past two seasons.

With that in mind, NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah pinned the Texans to target a potential long-term starter for the right side of their offensive line— Utah tackle Caleb Lomu— in his latest mock draft as a young pairing on the opposite side of Aireontae Ersery.

"Lomu pairs with Aireontae Ersery to give the Texans young bookends to build around on the offensive line."

Texans Land Caleb Lomu in NFL.com Mock Draft

The last offensive lineman to have been selected by the Texans in the first round came back in 2022 with Kenyon Green at the 16th-overall selection, who would go on to play three years with Houston before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason in the exchange for C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

However, the Texans have still been proactive in trying to upgrade their offensive line through the draft within the first three years of head coach DeMeco Ryans being at the helm. In the past three drafts, Houston has picked an offensive lineman in the second round of all three––those being Juice Scruggs (2023), Blake Fisher (2024), and Aireontae Ersery (2025).

Currently, only one of those three is on track to start for next season, that being Ersery. So perhaps rather than dabbling into the offensive line in the draft in the midst of day two, the Texans can make a more aggressive push towards upgrading the offensive trenches for the benefit of C.J. Stroud, and take a tackle in the top 30 in a young option that can grow with the unit for the future.

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils with Utah Utes offensive lineman Caleb Lomu (71) during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein broke down Lomu's immediate fit in the NFL during his scouting breakdown, noting him as a raw, but powerful offensive line prospect to keep an eye on.

"Two-year starting left tackle who is still in the early stages of his development. Utah's run game leaned heavily on movement and misdirection, preventing Lomu from firing out and showing his power... Lomu flashes but is still under construction. His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching."

With that developmental factor surrounding Lomu, it certainly adds some extra pressure for the Texans' coaching staff to make the right tweaks in his game entering the league to ensure the team gets this pick right.

At 6-foot-6, 308 pounds, Lomu has the physical frame to soon develop and fill in as a worthy right tackle for the future, replacing last year's starter Trent Brown, who was serviceable but was both inconsistent and couldn't stay healthy.

The Texans need cheap, long-term options to upgrade their offensive line to even better results from last season, and if Lomu is on the board at 28, he could provide just that to help further assist C.J. Stroud and this offense entirely.