First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans rejoiced in the Houston Texans’ draft room as his new team pulled off a trade eerily similar to the one his former team pulled off two years ago.
The Texans found an NFL draft trade partner in the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night to move from the No. 12 overall pick to No. 3, taking Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson with the choice after using the No. 2 overall selection on Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
In 2021, the 49ers pulled off a deal to move from No. 12 to No. 3 in order to select quarterback Trey Lance. That trade was completed one month before the draft.
The 49ers sent the No. 12 pick to the Miami Dolphins while also parting ways with first-round selections in 2022 (No. 29) and 2023 (No. 29), as well as a third-round pick (No. 102) in 2022.
As part of the deal the Texans worked out with Arizona, Houston received the No. 3 overall selection as well as a 2023 fourth-round pick (No. 105) while trading away their first-round pick (No. 12), a second-round pick (No. 33), and first- and third-round selections in next year’s draft.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
On paper, it appears the 49ers surrendered more draft capital to move up for Lance. However, they advanced to the NFC Championship Game in each of the past two seasons, which pushed the Dolphins' first-round picks to the backs of the round.
RELATED: Ryans credits 49ers tenure for preparing him for Texans job
Ryans, who served as a 49ers assistant coach for five seasons, was hired as the Texans' coach in January after leading the league’s top-ranked unit as defensive coordinator.