AFC South Swap? Texans Trade With Colts, Draft Franchise QB in NFL.com Mock

In this mock draft the Texans fortify the defense after trading back and still manage to land their potential franchise quarterback.

The closer we get to the NFL draft the more uncertainty there seems to be surrounding what the Houston Texans will do with the second pick. They could take their next franchise quarterback, address the defense or even trade down to gain more assets.

With so many different routes for the Texans to go down, mock drafts for Houston can be a bit all over the place. In Peter Schrager's latest mock draft for NFL.com, though, the Texans trade back but don't plummet down the board.

Rather, they make a trade with AFC South foes the Indianapolis Colts back to No. 4 overall. In return Schrager offers a pair of potential trade packages, with one of those packages headlined by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to reunite with DeMeco Ryans. 

Buckner, who recorded 74 total tackles with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season for the Colts, would help fortify the defensive front of a defense that allowed opponents to score 24.7 points per game last season, good for 27th in the NFL, on 379.5 yards of total offense. 

After trading back with the Colts to No. 4 overall, the Texans double dip on defense and add an elite prospect in Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson. In his final season at Texas Tech, Wilson showed why he received plenty of preseason hype to be a first-round pick as he recorded 61 total tackles with 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks. 

Then perhaps the best part of this mock for the Texans is who lands in their laps with the No. 12 overall pick. Despite trading back and opting not to draft Ohio State's C.J. Stroud the Texans still get their franchise quarterback as they take Kentucky's Will Levis. 

Levis is a polarizing prospect but one that the Texans could even take with the second pick as he's passed Stroud in betting odds to go at No. 2. He's shown flashes of why the Texans could take him here if he falls to them, throwing for 5,232 yards with 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his two seasons starting at Kentucky. 

All options are on the table for the Texans regarding the second pick, setting up maximum chaos on draft night. If they were able to bring in Buckner while still landing Wilson and a potential franchise quarterback in Levis, though, Houston would likely be happy with their first-round haul.

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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