The Houston Texans have been without veteran running back Joe Mixon for the entire 2025 NFL season. He has been dealing with a serious foot injury, and his potential return is uncertain. A recent mock for the 2026 NFL Draft predicts that the franchise will target his replacement in the first round.
Texans Mock Draft Picks Joe Mixon Replacement in 2026
Mixon totaled 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in his first season with the Texans last year after previously spending his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was expected to be a major factor for them during the 2025 NFL season, but a foot injury has kept him out for the entire year so far.
The veteran’s uncertain future amid the concerning injury situation has PFSN’s Ian Cummings predicting them to select Jeremiyah Love in his most recent 2026 NFL Mock Draft. The superstar running back has been one of the most productive players in college football during his career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This includes totaling 3,404 scrimmage yards and 41 touchdowns in less than three years.
“Giving off shades of Ahman Green at 6’0″, 214 pounds, Love has an incredibly rare type of dynamic vertical athleticism, where he can toggle and throttle behind the line to pin defenders into vats, then explode into space and punish pursuers 1-on-1. He’s special,” explained Cummings.
The Texans must also address their offensive line, which has been a disaster for them in recent seasons, but Cummings believes that they will use their 17th overall pick to target the best player available. He suggested that Love fits the description, while also filling a potential need for them amid Mixon’s lengthy absence.
Nick Chubb and Woody Marks have been filling in to handle the majority of the backfield workload this year. They are both in their first season with the Texans, with Chubb joining them during the offseason and Marks in his rookie year after being drafted. Despite using a draft pick on a running back in last year’s draft, Cummings still believes Love provides them a potentially massive upgrade to their backfield.
Marks currently ranks 41st among all running backs in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season, while Chubb is slightly behind him at 47th. This demonstrates that they have decent value, but Love has the upside to be an elite weapon capable of taking their struggling offense to the next level. They are currently averaging just the 10th-fewest rushing yards and 12th-fewest points per game through 12 weeks.
