How the Texans turned the Deshaun Watson trade into Will Anderson Jr., Kamari Lassiter and Tank Dell

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) walks to the practice bubble after talking to general manager Nick Caserio on the field during an NFL training camp football practice Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Houston. (Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer) The Deshaun Watson trade was an inflection moment in the history of the Houston Texans.After a turbulent time that featured a trade demand, sexual assault allegations and a season-long holdout, the Texans sent Watson to the Cleveland Browns in March 2022 in a blockbuster trade.Houston received six picks from the Browns in the acquisition, including its first round picks in three straight drafts.It's been around 1,700 days since the trade went down. The Texans have made the playoffs each of the past three seasons as DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. have led the team into a bright new era. Cleveland, on the other hand, has not been as successful. Its side of the trade is considered one of the worst outcomes in the history of the NFL.Houston is no doubt the winner of the trade, but only two of those six players selected from those picks ended up coming to play with the Texans. The rest got moved in other deals, each one consequential in its own way.A look at the picks the Texans received and the players that they turned into:2022: First-round pick, 13th overallWho Texans got: Kenyon Green, John Metchie III, Christian Harris, Thomas BookerThe Texans traded this pick on draft day to the Philadelphia Eagles to move down to No. 15, also picking up a fourth rounder and two fifth-round picks in the process. Houston picked guard Kenyon Green at No. 15 out of Texas A&M. He started 14 games as a rookie then missed the entirety of his second year. Green, who started nine games in 2024 and regressed, before being shipped out, coincidentally, to the Eagles in the 2025 offseason. He is currently out of the league.The fourth-rounder was used to move up to the second round to acquire wide receiver John Metchie III (later traded to the Eagles). One of the fifth rounders was used to move up in the third round to take linebacker Christian Harris, who started 27 games in four seasons before signing with the Falcons. The other fifth-rounder was used to move up in the fifth round to take defensive lineman Thomas Booker, who played one season in Houston.The Eagles used the No. 13 pick on defensive tackle Jordan Davis, whom they traded before Tuesday's deadline to the Jaguars for a first-round pick and a second-round pick.2022: Fourth-round pick, 107th overallWho Texans got: Dameon PiercePierce started 13 games as a rookie and impressed, rushing for 939 yards on 220 carries.Pierce was a key contributor on multiple Texans teams. He started 13 games as a rookie and the first seven games of the 2023 season before losing his starting role. But after losing the starting role, his production and usage lessened.The Texans released him last November. He played in one game for the Chiefs last year and three games with the Eagles this year before Philadelphia waived him with an injury settlement last week. Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., left, and Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, hold a team jersey after Anderson was chosen by the Hoston Texans with the No. 3 pick at the 2023 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano) (Steve Luciano/Associated Press) 2023: First-round pick, 12th overallWho Texans got: Will Anderson Jr., Calen BullockThis pick was traded twice on draft night in 2023. But the first move is one of the most consequential deals in Texans history.Houston traded this pick along with a 2023 second-round pick, 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 overall pick and a fourth rounder.The Texans used the No. 3 pick to select superstar edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.That fourth-round pick ended up not just being a throw in for Houston. The Texans used that pick to acquire a 2024 third-round pick. Then they used that third-round pick and the 2024 fourth-round pick acquired in the Watson deal to move up in the 2024 draft to pick safety Calen Bullock. He was a Pro Bowler last year.The Cardinals used the 12th pick to trade up with the Detroit Lions for the No. 6 pick. Arizona took offensive lineman Paris Johnson while the Lions took running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Houston Texans draft picks Will Anderson Jr., from left, C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell are photographed druing a drill in rookie camp Friday, May 12, 2023, at NRG in Houston. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer) 2023: Third-round pick, 73rd overallWho Texans got: Tank DellWhile the Anderson trade is the deal everyone remembers from the 2023 draft, Nick Caserio also executed another crucial deal on Day 2 of that draft. He sent this third round pick and a fifth rounder to the Los Angeles Rams to move up from No. 73 to No. 69 to select receiver Tank Dell.It's been a great move for the Texans, even with Dell missing 22 months with a significant knee injury before returning three weeks ago.Jalin Hyatt has been a bust in New York, who traded with the Rams for the pick and took the wide receiver. He has spent most of this season on the practice squad.2024: First-round pick, 23rd overallWho Texans got: Kamari Lassiter, Jamal Hill, Stefon Diggs, Jawhar Jordan, LaDarius Henderson, Luke Lachey, Woody Marks, Kyonte Hamilton, Graham MertzThe Texans traded this pick to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2024 draft in a deal that netted them a 2024 second-round pick, 2024 sixth-rounder and a 2025 second-round pick.The 2024 second-rounder became Kamari Lassiter, a starting cornerback and Pro Bowler. The 2025 second-rounder was dealt away in the Stefon Diggs trade, where the Texans also added a sixth-rounder in 2024 and a fifth-rounder in 2025.The sixth-rounder was later traded for two picks, with the Texans selecting running back Jawhar Jordan and offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson with those picks.The 2025 fifth-round pick was traded with a 2027 seventh-round pick for three more picks. The Texans picked tight end Luke Lachey with one of the picks and traded the other two away. Players selected from trades involving the two other picks are running back Woody Marks, defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton and quarterback Graham Mertz.Minnesota later used to the 2024 first-rounder to move up in that draft from No. 23 to No. 17 in a deal with Jacksonville. The Vikings picked linebacker Dallas Turner while the Jaguars picked receiver Brian Thomas Jr.Turner became a starter in Minnesota and Thomas turned in a remarkable rookie season, making the Pro Bowl, but has fallen down the Jaguars' depth chart. He has only 10 catches this year after making 87 as a rookie.2024: Fourth-round pick, 123rd overallWho Texans got: Cade StoverThe Texans used this pick in the trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up to acquire Bullock. But then the next day Houston traded back for the pick and selected Stover.Stover is still with the Texans, one of five tight ends on the active roster. He played in the first seven games of the season but was inactive last week against the Chargers.He has 30 career receptions for 226 yards and one touchdown. He has also been used under center on quarterback sneaks the past two years on Tush Push plays.SubscribeThere’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at How the Texans turned the Deshaun Watson trade into Will Anderson Jr., Kamari Lassiter and Tank Dell.