Battle Red Blog
The 2025 Draft is over. One last revisit before we move forward in the NFL year.
The Day After the Day After...when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of the 2025 NFL Draft
The “Patriots Way” draft strategy, or massive Texans scrambling?: Seeing the Texans trade out of the 1st round doesn’t seem all that radical on the surface. Caserio effectively did that last year before the draft and when under the Kraft/Belichick regime, he saw a lot trading out of the 1st, especially given that the difference between a late 1st/early 2nd is negligible in draft value and the cap prefers the cheaper 2nd rounder. However, reports indicate that Houston eyed some 1st round talent. Key among them, OL Kelvin Banks. At one point, Caserio tried to trade up to the #12 slot, but Dallas didn’t bite. Just as well, as Banks went to the Saints at #9. Other interior prospects went well before Houston’s #25 slot. One could argue that WR Matthew Golden was the one, especially as Houston executed its trade with the Giants right after Green Bay snagged him. We may never know for sure.
Iowa State, WR-U: When you think of “WR-U”, perhaps the Hairless Nuts of Ohio State come to mind. Maybe some of the other blue-chip programs, like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, etc...that take multi-star recruits and turn them into All-Pro prospects. Yet, you probably didn’t figure that Iowa State was up there. Perhaps that is not a commonly-held opinion, but Houston clearly saw something in the ISU receiving room. Of their four Day Two picks, two went to ISU receivers (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel). Taken by themselves, they were not bad picks. Higgins was high on many team’s draft boards, as both the Titans and Raiders (right behind Houston in the 2nd round) traded out of their picks when he went off the board. Noel likely replaces Tank Dell, who is not assured of returning in 2025.
Stock Up: current IOLs, Stock Down: incumbent WRs: Going into the draft, the thought was that Houston would get as many O-lineman as possible. Yet, they did not use their 1st round pick on a lineman, and took only one OL prospect all draft. Perhaps Houston got pre-empted on certain players or their staff saw something that us outsiders didn’t, but the expected flood of new lineman never materialized. This indicates Houston thinks players like Scruggs and Patterson can still evolve, that Howard can lock down a guard spot and that Robinson and Fisher can hold down the tackle spots, and that their various depth signing in free agency, along with new coaching, will improve the offensive line.
Yet, the drafting of the ISU WR room indicates that Metchie and Hutchinson (another ISU alum) are on borrowed time. Most think well of Metchie the man, but he was a 2nd...
