While the Texans aren't the Patriots by any stretch of the imagination, Rick Smith is a very shrewd draft day trader. In fact, if I were to rate his general managing skills, I'd say that trading would probably be his best attribute. The 2011 NFL Draft came and went with Smith making two moves, and I think they both came out pretty solid. Nick Scurfield at HoustonTexans.com breaks it down for us:
Trade 1 (with New England Patriots)
Pick acquired
No. 60 overall (second round): Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Picks traded
No. 73 overall (third round): Steven Ridley, RB, LSU
No. 138 overall (fifth round): Marcus Cannon, OL, TCUTrade 2 (Washington Redskins)
Picks acquired
No. 127 overall (fourth round): Roc Carmichael, DB, Virginia Tech
No. 144 overall (fifth round): Shiloh Keo, S, Idaho
No. 152 overall (fifth round): T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina
Picks traded
No. 105 overall (fourth round): Roy Helu, RB, Nebraska
No. 178 overall (sixth round): Alrdick Robinson, WR, SMU
Interestingly, both times the Texans have traded up in a non-Schaub move under Smith's tenure, it's been with the Patriots. While the Pats usually get great value for moving down, Smith has limited Belichick and company to just two extra fifth round picks in exchange for the privilege to move up.
The second trade probably isn't quite as good as the move up for Brandon Harris, but acquiring two fifth round picks showed some shrewdness and the Texans likely weren't high on many of the "best available" players on Day Three, so it made plenty of sense.
There aren't a whole lot of things that you can point to the Texans doing over the last few years as being great without reservations, but Rick Smith definitely knows how to work Draft Day trades.