Did the Texans try to trade back ahead of the Marlin Klein pick at No. 59?

While fans are excited to see what Michigan tight end Marlin Klein can do for the Houston Texans ' offense in 2026, some pondered why the franchise would reach for a tight end at pick No. 59. Klein, a 6-foot-6 German-born product from Ann Arbor, fits the mold of what second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley wants for his personnel.

Houston entered the offseason with plans on upgrading the position in both the pass-catching and run-blocking departments after underwhelming results from names outside of Dalton Schultz the past two seasons. But as a 23-year-old with raw skills and little receiving production, Klein wasn't viewed as a Round 2 pick. In fact, the consensus draft boards had him landing somewhere on Day 3, likely near the start of the fifth round.

So, did the Texans ever explore trade-back options to get more bang for their selection? Actually, general manager Nick Caserio seemed locked into trying to have his player while gaining a pick in the process. According to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M.

Alexander, Houston tried to move back into Round 3 and pick up an extra Day 3 pick. The rumor was that Tennessee and Cleveland, who selected at No. 67 and No.