The Texans' first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft was a cornerback, but that doesn't mean Houston should look to upgrade it's secondary ahead of the regular season.
ESPN's Matt Bowen listed several best free-agent fits for players and teams with offseason activities set to kick off this week for teams. For the Texans, Bowen picked former Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.
"Derek Stingley Jr., Houston's No. 1 corner, is on the verge of becoming a real star," Bowen wrote. "And the Texans did add to the defensive back room this offseason, with former first-round corners Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson coming aboard on one-year deals and Kamari Lassiter being one of the team's second-round picks. Lassiter is expected to play in the slot, so it would make sense for the Texans to take a look at bringing in Howard to compete for the job opposite of Stingley.
"Howard has solid perimeter coverage traits and a ball-hawking mentality that has led to 29 career interceptions. At worst, Houston would be adding more secondary depth as it gears up for what could be a great season and deep run into the playoffs."
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This makes sense for Houston, and it's a connection that's been speculated all offseason. ESPN's D.J. Bien-Aime reported in February after Howard's release from the Dolphins that the cornerback was interested in playing for the Texans. Howard himself later confirmed this and told Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller of “The OGs” podcast that he "would love" to play for Houston. He grew up in the area and went to Baylor in Waco, Texas.
However, it's unclear how the Texans feel about Howard. Stingley is the clear-cut starter and the additions of Okudah, Henderson and Lassiter muddy the waters of his CB2 running mate. Okudah and Henderson are outside cornerbacks who haven't performed in the NFL despite their top-10 pedigree, while Lassiter's size aligns more with a slot defensive back.
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Howard would command an immediate starting job — which comes with starting pay, too. The Texans have the money but there are other holes general manager Nick Caserio could target ahead of the 2024 season instead.
If Howard is willing to take less to play in his hometown, it's a no-brainer of a move for Houston. There are other cornerbacks the Texans could also target in a trade before the season if they don't want to go the Howard route. For now, though, head coach DeMeco Ryans will continue OTAs with the group he has at his disposal.