Houston has highest capital in 2023

The Houston Texans have 12 picks in the 2023 NFL draft, tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the most in the NFL.

However, merely having a bevy of picks doesn’t exactly mean anything if the positioning is increasingly later in the draft. Consider the San Francisco 49ers. While they have 11 picks, just one fewer than the Texans, their first pick isn’t until Round 3 at 99 overall, just four picks until the end of the round.

According to Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, which can be found at Drafttek, the Texans have the highest draft capital this year at 5,016.4. The next closest team are the Carolina Panthers, who have the No. 1 overall pick, with 3,777. The problem with the Panthers is they only have six picks at this point.

What gives the Texans the bulk of their point value is Rounds 1-4. Houston has two first-rounders (Nos. 2, 12 overall), a 33 overall in Round 2, two third-rounders (Nos. 65, 73 overall), and then No. 104 overall, the second pick in the fourth round.

The Texans’ sixth-round selections at Nos. 179, 188, 201, and 203 overall are intriguing because of general manager Nick Caserio’s predilection for wheeling and dealing Day 3 picks to build packages to take specific players. Caserio also uses them to move back into next year’s draft. Will the trend continue?

Here is a look at the Texans’ complement of picks as of March 25:

Round 1 — Nos. 2, 12 overall

Round 2 — No. 33 overall

Round 3 — Nos. 65, 73 overall

Round 4 — No. 104 overall

Round 5 — No. 161 overall

Round 6 — Nos. 179, 188, 201, 203

Round 7 — No. 259 overall