Texans Explored Trading Up With Panthers in First Round of Draft

It's no surprise that Texans GM Nick Caserio was trying to get active on the trade market at the draft.

Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio walks on the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans were one of the most active traders around the board in this year's NFL Draft.

In round one, they traded up to select their eventual top pick in Keylan Rutledge. On day two, they traded up in round two to secure Kayden McDonald at pick 36. And on the third day, those deals only continued by trading down to select Wade Woodaz and Lewis Bond.

But it seems like there were more potentially significant trades that the Texans were trying to work out at the top of the draft to move further up the board from where they would end up picking–– even as high as within the top 20.

Texans Tried to Trade Up to Pick No. 19 With Panthers?

One place on the board that the Texans at least investigated a trade up with would be the Carolina Panthers' 19th-overall selection, as revealed in a new draft war room video.

In a clip from the Panthers' draft room, Carolina and their general manager, Dan Morgan, had a call come through from Texans' Nick Caserio, who was seemingly poking around with interest in acquiring the 19th-overall pick.

The Panthers assumed the Texans were trading up for a tackle––the same position Carolina would end up targeting at 19 by selecting Monroe Freeling. So it was tough for them to not only move off of a selection they could use to secure their own position of need, while also trading as far back as Houston sat on the board at 28.

Therefore, the idea would quickly be shut down by the Panthers' front office.

"We can't trade back with them," Morgan said.

The Panthers were certain the Lions would take a Tackle at No. 17

"but we did not know the order the Lions tackles were in."

So Carolina considered offering a 5th round pick to move up two spots in order to secure Monroe Freeling

In the end, both teams got the OT they wanted pic.twitter.com/2gYClRDBNv

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) June 3, 2026

Texans Were Active Behind-the-Scenes at the Draft

A potential deal with the Panthers isn't the only failed trade scenario involving the Texans that has leaked through the cracks after the fallout of the draft.

The Texans also seemed to be interested in moving down with the Baltimore Ravens on the second day of the draft with their 59th-overall pick; as they would be seeking out a third, fourth, and fifth-round pick from Baltimore to make the shift down from the selection.

Of course, the Ravens would inevitably decline that proposal as well. The Texans would stick at pick 59 to select tight end Marlin Klein, while Baltimore would use those three picks for Jakobi Lane, Elijah Sarratt, and Chandler Rivers.

So this proposed, yet failed, deal with the Panthers is yet another example of the hectic action that goes on in NFL front offices during the draft.

General managers make calls, some successful, some not, and that's especially so for an avid trader like Nick Caserio, who made a total of three trades in this year's draft.

Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio on the field before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

But even while many of those deals end up never seeing the light of day, for the Texans in particular, they still walked out of this year's class able to feel pretty good about their overall haul.

They tackled their biggest needs on the offensive and defensive lines with their top two picks, added offensive talent down the depth chart with Klein and Bond, and did the same defensively with linebackers Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher––who now become especially valuable now that E.J. Speed has reportedly been ruled out for the entire 2026 season.

Knowing how Caserio operates, he very well might've liked to see a few more trades go down throughout that turnout look even better. But he and Houston made out pretty well this go-around.

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