The Texans moved up in both rounds of Friday’s draft to get their players, creating a flurry of activity. They landed Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney early on Day 2 after a trade with Cleveland.
“As the second round began to unfold, Benardrick was sitting there and it was pretty clear that he was the highest rated guy left on the board,” general manager and executive vice president Rick Smith said Friday night. “We felt like we needed to get aggressive.”
The Texans swapped their second round pick with Cleveland, improving from 51st to 43rd overall. In the process, Houston also gave up its fourth- and sixth-round picks (116th and 195th overall) but earned back a seventh rounder (229th overall).