The Houston Texans emerged from out of nowhere in 2023. While it was expected that at some point soon the Texans would become playoff hopefuls after drafting CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. in last year's draft, doing so in their rookie seasons was not. This meteoric rise in Houston was in large part due to how great their 2023 draft was. Not only did the Texans snag Stroud and Anderson, but they also found guys like Juice Scruggs and Nathaniel ‘Tank' Dell, among others. The organization hopes to do the same in the 2024 NFL Draft and find instant contributors who can help keep the positive momentum going. Guys like Ja'Tavion Sanders and Bucky Irving are a few low-key players who the Texans can snag after Round 1 and could find themselves in big roles right away.
Houston has plenty of shots to continue adding to their roster. Despite trading their first-round pick in this year's draft last year as part of the trade to acquire Will Anderson Jr., Houston still has a pick in each of the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft and two fourth-round picks. That's a great spot to be in. The Texans are a team on the rise. If they can land those players mentioned earlier, they'll better position themselves to keep the good times rolling in 2024.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tight End
Houston signed Dalton Schultz as a free agent to serve as their stopgap option at tight end. Schultz is a fine player. He did rank 10th among tight ends last season in yards per route run (1.58) according to playerprofiler.com. But he was only signed to a one-year deal and is not some overwhelming talent that forced the Texans to overpay to retain him based on his play. They could use a tight end of the future to serve as CJ Stroud's security blanket.
Ja'Tavion Sanders could be that guy. Sanders is well regarded in draft circles as the second-best tight-end prospect in this class behind the incomparable Brock Bowers. Sanders is not Bowers, but he's no slouch either. In two seasons for the Texas Longhorns, Sanders put up 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns. One could make the case that Sanders was the best-receiving threat among pass catchers at Texas during his tenure there.
The Texans have at least two stars at wide receiver in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Maybe John Metchie III can get there at some point now that he can focus solely on football and not rehab, but the Texans don't need to invest too heavily at that position. They could stand to invest at tight end. Ja'Tavion Sanders is probably the best realistic target they can land.
Bucky Irving, Running Back
The Texans could also use a running back for the future. They thought Dameon Pierce was that guy after a successful season, but he fell behind Devin Singletary in the running back rotation last season and was hardly used down the stretch. Singletary is in the same boat as Dalton Schultz; he's a fine player, but probably not the long-term solution for a young team like the Texans.
Oregon's Bucky Irving could be. He's a bit undersized at 5-10 and 195 pounds, but he is tough as nails to tackle. He was one of the leaders in the country at breaking tackles and gaining yards after contact despite his diminutive stature.
Irving is also dynamic as a receiver out of the backfield. In three collegiate seasons (two at the University of Oregon, one at the University of Minnesota), Irving brought in 95 receptions for 785 yards and five touchdowns. He showed that dynamism with the ball in his hands as a receiver too.
Irving would make for a great complement to CJ Stroud and the Texans' pass catchers. He's a tough, physical runner despite his size and can play on all three downs as another target for Stroud to dump the ball to and gain extra yards. He looks like a great fit later on in the draft. He should be a target for the Texans.
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