New Orleans traded picks 123 and 163 to Houston to move up to…
New Orleans traded picks 123 and 163 to Houston to move up to No. 107 for running back Antonio Pittman. Pittman did not survive final cuts, leaving the Saints with no regular-season return from the move. Houston used No. 123 on Fred Bennett, who started eight games and intercepted three passes as a rookie, giving the Texans the clear advantage.
Houston Texans Received
- pick 2007 4th round pick (123rd overall, Fred Bennett)
- pick 2007 5th round pick (163rd overall, Brandon Frye)
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2007 4th round pick (107th overall, Antonio Pittman)
Trade Analysis
Why New Orleans Moved Up
The Saints wanted Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman and sent Houston picks No. 123 and No. 163 for the 107th selection. The move concentrated two draft assets into one player. Houston accepted the slide and gained another chance later in the draft, a reasonable approach for a roster still building depth.
What Houston Received
The Texans used pick No. 123 on cornerback Fred Bennett. He played 14 games as a rookie, started eight, and intercepted three passes, giving Houston immediate defensive value from the first piece of the return. Pick No. 163 became Brandon Frye. Bennett's rookie contribution alone gave the Texans something tangible and useful from a deal that required only a modest move down.
How New Orleans Fared
Pittman never played a regular-season game for the Saints. He lost the roster competition to undrafted rookie Pierre Thomas and was waived at final cuts. That outcome is especially costly because New Orleans had spent two selections to move up for him. The Saints did not merely miss on a fourth-round player; they gave up an additional fifth-round opportunity to secure a player who did not make the opening roster.
Why This Trade Still Matters
Draft-day aggression can work when the targeted prospect delivers, but it magnifies the downside when he does not. Houston preserved flexibility, added a selection and found a rookie starter. New Orleans paid extra to reduce uncertainty around its choice, only to get no regular-season contribution from that choice.
Final Verdict
Houston Texans Win. Houston earns a B+ because Bennett gave the club immediate starting value after a move down that also added another pick. New Orleans receives a D because Pittman was released before the season, making the two-pick expenditure particularly poor. The contrast between a rookie contributor and a player who never made the Saints roster creates a clear gap.