Texans select Cade Stover in 4th round

The Houston Texans selected Ohio State tight end Cade Stover in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 123rd overall.

Stover played with Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud at Ohio State. He started 24 games over the last two years, racking up 982 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The 23-year-old secured second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and was a Buckeyes team captain.

Pre-draft profile

Stover's best traits show up when he's fighting through traffic and coverage to come down with catches. This is especially true on shorter routes that rely on him to make his own space between the line of scrimmage and second-level defenders. While he can showcase strong hands and impressive concentration, Stover invites tighter coverage - particularly on seam routes - by playing slower than he needs to. If he can get closer to his top speed while getting up field and finding the ball, he'll add more dynamism to his game. Hints of the former Buckeye's potential pop up with crisp stems at the top of intermediate routes. Despite his ability to play through traffic, adding a bit more weight could help with bigger defenders and improve his ability to maintain blocks. His base and contact are solid, but the movement he creates is underwhelming thanks to a lack of raw power and drive.