The Houston Texans head into the 2025 NFL Draft with seven picks, giving them room to address multiple positions, including the running back spot.
The Texans still have veteran running back Joe Mixon under contract through 2026 as he won’t become an unrestricted free agent until 2027. However, Mixon will be 29 years old when Week 1 of the regular season starts, and it wouldn’t hurt for the Texans to have a young running back behind him.
The Texans have done their homework on the running back class during the draft cycle, bringing in Quinshon Jenkins, Kaleb Johnson, Jaydon Blue, and Brashard Smith for top-30 visits.
All those running backs would be fantastic additions to the Texans’ backfield and could compete with Dameon Pierce for the RB2 job. However, Jaydon Blue, who played his college ball at the University of Texas, enjoyed his visit with the Texans and would love to play for his hometown team.
"It was very cool, I enjoyed it, really liked the coaching staff, coach DeMeco is a very good guy. Same thing with the GM, very close with the running back coach. So, I’m glad I got a chance to be able to have a visit with my hometown. I talked with coach Barrett, coach DeMeco, and they told me that they wanted to add a back with speed. I would love to play for them, man. Nothing better than getting to play in the NFL for your hometown."
Jaydon Blue on #Texans visit: 'It was very cool, I enjoyed it, really liked the coaching staff, coach DeMeco is a very good guy. Same thing with the GM, very close with the running back coach. So, I’m glad I got a chance to be able to have a visit with my hometown. I talked with… https://t.co/eabe2sbpxR
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 21, 2025
If there’s one thing that Blue has, it's speed, and the Texans could use that in their backfield to offset Mixon. The former Texas Longhorn standout ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, which was the second fastest time at RB behind Virginia Tech’s Bhaysal Tuten (4.32).
According to Wilson, Blue’s official Pro Day time was 4.38 seconds, but he unofficially ran a 4.25 and 4.28 40-yard dash at Texas’ campus Pro Day workout.
Last season at the University of Texas, Blue racked up 730 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 134 carries, which were all career-highs. The 5-foot-9 running back also showcased his skills as a pass catcher, tallying 42 receptions for 368 yards and six touchdowns.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and new offensive coordinator Nick Caley should be excited about possibly adding Blue’s speed out of the backfield, giving them another playmaker to use in the passing game.
That said, the Texans won’t be the only team vying for Blue during draft weekend, so we’ll see if they will win the sweepstakes or get another running back.