The Houston Texans made eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Hear from Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and Executive VP & GM Nick Caserio on the last day of Draft:

**Round 1, Pick 26: G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech**

The Texans traded up two spots with the Buffalo Bills to open the draft, and Caserio made clear the decision wasn't complicated.

Every scout in the building had graded Rutledge the same way. "Tough, violent, physical," Caserio said. "The guy wants to step on your throat on every play. Which I would say sort of embodies what our football team is about." Caserio noted Rutledge's no-frills draft night — just him and his wife in an Airbnb in Georgia — and contrasted it with the spectacle around other prospects. "You see somebody's other draft party — it's like a circus. This guy's all ball. All football. Doesn't really care about anything else. Wants to punch people in the mouth. Yep. That works here." Caserio also praised the Georgia Tech program under Brent Key and pointed to Rutledge's path from Middle Tennessee State as evidence of his drive. He closed with a declaration: "We're going to run the football this year."

**Round 2, Pick 36: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State**

Houston traded up again on Day 2, swapping picks with the Las Vegas Raiders to land McDonald, whose run-stopping ability drew praise.

McDonald became the first unanimous All-American defensive tackle in Ohio State history and recorded over 60 tackles while playing his entire 2025 season at just 20 years old. Caserio highlighted the Texans' deep relationships with Ohio State's coaching staff, including Matt Patricia and Ryan Day, and praised McDonald's emotional reaction to being drafted — the Ohio State product broke down in tears on stage in Pittsburgh. "This guy's all ball. All football," Caserio said, echoing the same language he'd used for Rutledge the night before.

**Round 2, Pick 59: TE Marlin Klein, Michigan**

Caserio called Klein's journey from Germany to the NFL "one of the most compelling stories in this draft class." The Michigan tight end profiles as a physical blocker with a lot of upside.

**Round 4, Pick 106: G Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma**

The Texans went back to the offensive line on Day 3 with Nwaiwu, a former walk-on at North Texas who transferred to Oklahoma and earned second-team All-SEC honors.

Nwaiwu said Houston was near the top of his list. "That was one of my top places I wanted to go to. I get to stay at home, close to my family. I got a lot of family in Houston as well." He singled out offensive line coach Cole Popovich as someone who stood out during the process. "Great coach. I can just tell from the short time that I've known him that he was a real developer and he knew how to make a great offensive lineman." Asked what makes him a fit, Nwaiwu kept it direct: "I think the Texans are a physical team and I'm a physical player. They're a smart team, I'm a smart player. They're a detailed team, I'm a detailed player." On his walk-on mentality: "You have to work like you're not just starving, like you're malnourished. You're behind everybody, so you have to outwork everybody."

**Round 4, Pick 123: LB Wade Woodaz, Clemson**

Houston acquired the 123rd pick by trading back with the Los Angeles Chargers and used it on the safety-turned-linebacker who blocked a punt in his very first collegiate game.

Woodaz said the Texans had been engaged throughout the process, starting at the Combine. "The combine interview was great, super smooth. They were just getting to know me, picking my brain, learning my personality. The Texans have for sure been heavily interested throughout the whole process." Asked to describe his game in a few words, Woodaz didn't hesitate: "Fast, athletic, violent." On special teams as his entry point: "My goal is to go out there and play hard as hell. I had to prove to the coaches early on in my career that I deserve to be on the field. Special teams is the way to do it." He has put on roughly 40 pounds since arriving at Clemson as a safety, fueled by what he called a nightly pizza habit and "like 12" Gatorade protein shakes a day.

**Round 5, Pick 141: S Kamari Ramsey, USC**

The Texans added one of the draft's most versatile defensive backs in Ramsey, whom analysts described as a Swiss army knife capable of playing free safety, strong safety, slot defender, and hybrid linebacker.

He ran a 4.47 forty at the Combine and finished his career at UCLA and USC with 133 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and two interceptions. Ramsey had two formal meetings with the Texans during the process and told NFL Draft on SI that versatility has been the defining theme of his pre-draft conversations: "That's definitely been the biggest topic during my team meetings. Versatility is the premier trait I hang my hat on. The game is changing. You need to have dynamic defenders in those positions."

**Round 6, Pick 204: WR Lewis Bond, Boston College**

Houston selected Bond, the all-time receptions leader in Boston College history, with the No. 204.

Bond said the moment of getting drafted was bigger for his family than for himself. "It was emotional because it's the work being appreciated. My mom, all the time and effort, all my family, the time and effort that they gave up for me to get me to youth league practices, to school, to whatever I wanted to do as a kid. Those sacrifices. It was a moment for them more than me. I'm ready to go to work, but that moment means something to them."

Bond credited former teammate Zay Flowers with showing him what it takes: "His work ethic. He showed me what it takes to be where I want to be. It's kind of just knowing that it takes what it takes and you can't really cheat that."

Round 7, Pick 224: LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana

The Texans closed out their draft with Fisher, the heart and soul of Indiana's national championship defense.

A zero-star recruit who walked on at James Madison before following head coach Curt Cignetti to Bloomington, Fisher finished his career with 328 tackles in 51 games, back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten selections, first-team All-American honors, and a Butkus Award finalist nod. Athlon Sports called him "a supercomputer in human form" whose "football IQ and processing are off the charts." Cignetti has consistently called Fisher a "special guy," and his leadership transformation from quiet underclassman to vocal defensive captain was widely praised — he recorded sacks in both the Big Ten Championship and the CFP semifinal en route to Indiana's first-ever national title. Fisher profiles as a dependable backup MIKE linebacker with early green-dot potential and immediate special teams value. His father passed away on his 11th birthday, and his stepfather died of brain cancer in 2019 — Fisher wears No. 4 in honor of his mother, two sisters, and himself. He earned two first-team All-America nods, the first Indiana linebacker ever to do so, and graduated with a 4.1 high school GPA before earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.