Houston Texans NFL Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

One of the best defenses in the NFL adds to its bag of riches along the defensive front.

It's no secret that pass protection ranks among the Texans' biggest weaknesses. A year after drafting left tackle Aireontae Ersery in the second round, Houston revisits its offensive line by taking Lomu with its first pick of the 2026 draft. The 6-6, 304-pound Utah product has some developing to do, but he should eventually serve as a quality bookend to Ersery and help bolster C.J. Stroud's line.

Spencer Fano is the Utah OT who gets the most attention, but he may not be the only one off the board by the end of the first round. Caleb Lomu isn't an incredible athlete (in the context of NFL OTs), but he's a coach's dream when it comes to technique and fundamentals. He'll be starting at RT in the NFL for 10 years.

Lomu pairs with Aireontae Ersery to give the Texans young bookends to build around on the offensive line.

The Texans' playoff loss was marred by quarterback C.J. Stroud's carelessness with the football, but protection was undoubtedly an issue, too. Houston drafted a young left tackle to build around in Aireontae Ersery last year, and Proctor would give them another gigantic pillar.

Proctor had an uneven 2025 season at Alabama, which made some scouts wary of his overall foot quickness against twitchy edge rushers. But there is zero debate about his power and size (6-foot-7, 366 pounds), which could be crucial for Houston's rushing attack. The Texans were last in run block win rate in 2025.

The Texans' offensive line is still a problem, so Houston can take a massive swing here to fix it with the 6-foot-7, 370-pound Proctor. He has to answer questions about his conditioning, but if he can stay in shape at the next level he has a chance to tap into the athleticism that has scouts and fans so excited about his upside.

Houston's defense is elite, so it needs to keep building on the offensive side of the ball. The Texans' offensive line was better this past season, but it can still improve. Miller started all 54 games in his career and is reliable.