The Houston Texans’ offseason efforts have not paid off as they had hoped, but there remains a belief that they could still use more help, perhaps in the form of a trade for Ashton Jeanty, currently of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Athletic’s Mike Jones argued in favor of the Texans making an addition, suggesting they should be buyers at the 2026 deadline.
“The Texans traded for former Lions running back David Montgomery in March, hoping the eighth-year veteran could bolster their rushing attack. But Montgomery has struggled to fit into Houston’s system,” Jones wrote on November 4. “The Texans rank 28th in the league with just 84.7 rushing yards per game. If Houston can swing a trade to add a more productive member to its backfield, general manager Nick Caserio should do so.”
ESPN’s Ben Solak suggested teams should at least check the Raiders’ temperature on a deal.
“Jeanty was all but benched in Week 8 — rookie Mike Washington Jr. outcarried him 25-2 — and Jeanty hasn’t looked particularly healthy this season,” Solak wrote on November 3. “Can a playoff contender acquire the former first-rounder for a Day 2 pick, rest him up and get him healthy for the postseason?”
Asked Kubiak if Jeanty’s limited workload had anything to do with his mid-week comments in the media.
Jeanty dealt with an ankle injury since training camp, and the Raiders have listed him with a foot issue as well. However, Jeanty has been off the injury report since Week 6 and Week 8 was his first time seeing fewer than 53% of the offensive snap share, per Pro Football Reference.
If the Raiders are willing to part with Jeanty, his health should not scare teams off.
Texans Trade Proposal Lands Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty
If Jeanty is healthy, and the Raiders are open to entertaining trade offers, this Heavy Sports Texans trade pitch would try to match the value that Solak suggested.
Texans get:
- Ashton Jeanty
Raiders get:
- 2027 third-round pick
- 2028 second-round pick
The Texans do not own their second-round pick in 2026, which would be 51st overall if the draft were today. Any team that readily offers that will likely take precedent for the Raiders. Again, that is if they decided to deal Jeanty, which still seems like a long shot at this point.
However, per DraftTek, the final pick of the second round in 2026 is worth 270 points.
That is based on the Jimmy Johnson Trade Values chart, by which Houston’s 2027 third-rounder is worth 175 points.
Their future second in the same slot would be worth 195 points, or half the value of the same pick in this year’s draft, which would bring the offer above to 370 points. That is the equivalent of the 53rd overall pick, currently held by the New England Patriots.
Whether or not that is enough to secure Jeanty is only part of the equation for the Texans.
Texans Run Game Woes Go Beyond RB
Adding Jeanty might not be the kind of cure-all Jones suggests the Texans need, and his own diminished production on the ground is only part of the reason why.
The Texans are tied for the fifth-lowest yards gained before contact per rushing attempt and the fourth-lowest after contact, per PFR. That suggests that the backs are only getting what is blocked, and that is not much.
Woody Marks has been better that Montgomery in that regard, and Jeanty for that matter.
The Texans may view sticking with Marks and Montgomery, or just not giving up more draft capital as a more prudent choice. Still, the idea of the Texans adding Jeanty is fitting.
Texans Trade Pitch Lands Former Top-10 Pick From Raiders