The Houston Texans, despite their disappointing playoff exit to the New England Patriots, still have a bright future ahead of them.
Their elite defense has a good majority of its young players locked down for the foreseeable future. Will Anderson Jr. is likely to sign an extension this offseason, and Derek Stingley Jr. was handed a three-year, $90 million contract last March.
On offense, C.J. Stroud still has two more years of contractual control, and Nico Collins still has two years remaining on his three-year, $72.75 million extension signed in 2024.
This allows the Texans to focus their assets where they desperately need to. Stroud hasn’t played up to expectations as of late, but Houston could certainly do a better job of protecting their hopeful franchise quarterback.
Mock Draft Lands Texans Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor
In a recent mock draft from CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards, he projects the Houston Texans to select Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.
“Houston began the season with a 3-5 record and an injured C.J. Stroud. To go on a run to the AFC Divisional Round was quite the accomplishment, all things considered,” wrote Edwards.
“The Texans got the most out of last season’s offensive line additions, but they need to continue investing in that group to stave off regression. Kadyn Proctor could play tackle or move inside to guard.”
While last year’s Laremy Tunsil deal was a successful trade in terms of getting his bloated contract off of Houston’s books, the Texans’ offensive line missed his talents in both pass protection and run blocking.
Proctor isn’t going to step in and be the Pro Bowl caliber player Tunsil was, but he would certainly be a great addition to an otherwise aging offensive line room.
Tytus Howard and Trent Brown are 29 and 32 years old, respectively, and they’re not getting any younger.
Drafting Proctor would allow the Texans to ease the young lineman in, not asking him to start right away unless injuries necessitate it.
Guard Ed Ingram is an impending free agent as well, and if Houston can’t bring him back on an extension, the addition of another offensive lineman will become much more important.
Kadyn Proctor’s Draft Outlook
ESPN’s draft expert, Mel Kiper Jr., has Proctor listed as the 19th-best prospect of the incoming class, which means getting him at No. 28 overall would be a steal for the Houston Texans.
“If you only watched Proctor against Florida State, you’d have questions about this ranking. He allowed seven pressures and a sack in that season opener, and he took a false start penalty on an important fourth-and-1 late in the game,” said Kiper.
“Not a good start to the campaign. But after that, Proctor looked very good. He consistently handled inside and outside moves from edge rushers as he settled in. Proctor had 40 starts of experience, with every career snap over three years coming at left tackle.”
While Proctor mostly played left tackle at Alabama, his versatility seems to be yet another attractive trait to interested teams.
It’s tough to project where exactly collegiate offensive linemen will settle into once they make the jump to the pros; that decision usually falls on the coaching staff.
But Proctor’s versatility makes him even more valuable as a draft prospect, and he could theoretically jump around until he finds the spot he looks the most comfortable in.
For the Texans, having him as their first-round pick come April opens a lot of doors for them to roll out their new-look offensive line next season.
Texans Mock Draft Lands C.J. Stroud Support in First Round