The Houston Texans could go in a lot of different directions with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
While the team doesn’t have any glaring needs, Houston could upgrade or add depth at various positions across the roster, especially if the team doesn’t target certain players in free agency. Offensive line and cornerback have been two of the most frequent areas of recent mock drafts, but TouchdownWire’s Doug Farrar has the Texans taking LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the pick.
The 6-foot-5, 198-pound pass-catcher would provide another big outside wide receiver to pair with Nico Collins, while Tank Dell would operate out of the slot. Thomas Jr. caught 68 receptions for 1,117 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023. His career numbers are 127 receptions on 176 targets for 1,897 yards (14.9 yards per reception) and 24 touchdowns.
I don’t think the league would be prepared for the #Texans to add Brian Thomas Jr. to CJ Stroud’s arsenal of weapons.
This is becoming one of my favourite fits in the early stages of draft season.pic.twitter.com/zbz6TKHluh https://t.co/ezB57UpgAY
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 19, 2024
Thomas Jr. would be a luxury pick for the Texans, but one they can afford if Houston wants its offenses to go to another level. John Metchie III remains a work in progress and veterans Robert Woods and Noah Brown are impending free agents. Woods and Brown have proven to be solid depth players when called upon, but adding someone like Thomas would shore up the top offensive position for Houston.
In this mock, Thomas would be the best option at this point in the draft. The only other first-round offensive lineman left would be Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. There were a few cornerbacks available as well, but none who are good enough to warrant taking over a flashier wide receiver.
