Houston moved up from No. 82 to No. 70 for Arizona State…
Houston moved up from No. 82 to No. 70 for Arizona State receiver Jaelen Strong, sending New York DeVier Posey plus picks No. 82, 152 and 229. Strong never became the starting receiver Houston hoped to secure, finishing his Texans tenure with limited production. The Jets' return was modest too, but Lorenzo Mauldin provided useful pass-rush snaps and the larger package gave New York more realized value.
Houston Texans Received
- pick 2015 3rd round pick (70th overall, Jaelen Strong)
New York Jets Received
- player DeVier Posey
- pick 2015 3rd round pick (82nd overall, Lorenzo Mauldin)
- pick 2015 5th round pick (152nd overall, Jarvis Harrison)
- pick 2015 7th round pick (229th overall subsequently traded, Ben Koyack)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Houston traded receiver DeVier Posey and picks No. 82, 152 and 229 to the Jets for pick No. 70 during the 2015 draft. The Texans selected Arizona State receiver Jaelen Strong. New York used No. 82 on linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin and No. 152 on guard Jarvis Harrison, while the seventh-round selection was later moved. The Texans were paying a substantial quantity premium to secure a receiver they viewed as a value in the third round.
Why Houston Took the Swing
Strong entered the league with the size and contested-catch profile to complement DeAndre Hopkins. Houston was betting that moving up would secure a future starter rather than waiting through the next dozen picks. Strong flashed red-zone ability but never established a consistent role. He caught 31 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns across his NFL career, with most of that work coming for Houston, and the Texans waived him early in the 2017 season.
How New York Won Without a Star
The Jets did not turn the package into a foundational player. Posey did not become a meaningful New York contributor, Harrison offered little return, and the late pick was moved again. Mauldin did provide useful rotational production, appearing in 26 games and recording 6.5 sacks over his first two seasons. That is a modest outcome, but it still compares favorably with the premium Houston paid for Strong's brief tenure.
Final Verdict
Neither side should celebrate this transaction as a major success. Houston's move-up cost was simply too rich relative to what Strong delivered, while New York accumulated several assets and got at least some defensive production from Mauldin. The Jets win narrowly on aggregate return, but the grades stay restrained because their own package did not produce a long-term core player.