Battle Red Blog
Texans last pick has a great shot to make the roster
Round four of my breakdown of every Texans pick from the 2025 NFL Draft takes us to the last pick in this class. I want to highlight a player under-evaluated through the draft process. Luke Lachey fell down draft boards and into the Texans’ lap with the 255th pick partially due to injury and partially due to the mundanity of Iowa’s offense in 2024.
Past Texans 2025 Draft Pick Film Reviews:
Lachey is an intriguing case; his best season was in 2022 where he caught 28 passes as the TE2 next to future star Sam LaPorta. That season he also hauled in four touchdowns to LaPorta’s one. Lachey was tabbed as the “next great Iowa tight end” before his 2023 season was cut short after just three games due to an ankle injury. In 2024, he was the second leading receiver in Iowa’s offense with (only) 28 catches, which isn’t saying much.
Let’s dive into the film watched for this analysis:
Games watched: vs. Northwestern, at Ohio State, at Iowa State, vs Nebraska
It’s evident his ankle injury took a toll on his play. He doesn’t explode off the line of scrimmage, but rather gains speed 5-10 yards into route. Lachey isn’t shifty either; once he secures the ball—treating it like an uncut gem—he charges straight ahead until someone chops him down. Even so, Lachey was more productive early in 2024 rather than later due to anemic quarterback play down the stretch.
One noticeable curiosity is that he’s a hands catcher when running routes, but body catches balls on curl or sit routes. It’s extremely odd and shows up on tape consistently. Corner and post routes are where Lachey shines, but due to offensive woes he stuck to option, curl and out routes.
Run blocking is where his potential fit is prevalent. Iowa deployed him as a weak side blocker in their zone and power-heavy schemes. He is capable of setting an edge but better at sealing off the backside zone.
Lachey checks all the boxes for a late-round Houston Texan. He’s a team captain, has multiple years of productivity, comes from a big program, and fills a role at position of need.
