The Houston Texans know exactly who they want in the NFL Draft. With the No. 1 pick, they have their selection of every single player and general manager Rick Smith has a good idea of the guy or guys he likes. He also understands the value of a trade down and with plenty of teams interested in making a deal, the Houston Texans are leaning that way.
Smith likes the idea of using the No. 1 draft pick. The Texans could easily make the predictable move and draft Johnny Manziel or Jadeveon Clowney. However, in one of the deepest drafts is that really necessary. Smith wants picks. He wants options in later rounds and if another team is willing to give Houston that, Smith will take it.
"Now where the game is played is if there's an opportunity to move and, in this case, obviously to move back if somebody else wants to come up to that first pick," Smith said, via HoustonTexans.com. "Then you weigh what the opportunities are versus who the individual is that you want to take and what that value is relative to the value that somebody might be offering you. But as you move through the draft, obviously you don't know who's going to be picked when."
While the Texans have been linked to both Clowney and Manziel, it could simply be because they are the top two picks and the Texans have the No. 1 overall selection. However a trade down could indicate the team likes Blake Bortles and Khalil Mack in the positions instead. Smith notes that the team is working to weight the formula of value vs. need and if Houston can get the same kind of value plus more picks, then that meets more than their needs.
"I've said very often that if you are able to take a player at a corresponding value and it fits a position of need, then you've hit the homerun," Smith said. "You've done a great job. As we go and that board starts to fall, we've already earmarked that guys that we like, that we think will fit in our systems and we'd like to see in our locker room and the guys that we think would be good guys in our community. We've got a pretty good idea of who those men are."
Several teams are looking to give the Texans a favorable package of picks. Everyone from the Atlanta Falcons to the Detroit Lions are eyeing a trade up especially if it means they can get Clowney. Smith might know the player that he likes, but it seems he likes draft picks more.
