The Houston Texans made two stellar moves in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday. They took CJ Stroud and managed to land Will Anderson Jr. If there were any winners from day one of the 2023 NFL Draft, it was the Houston Texans.
They stood pat with the second overall selection and took CJ Stroud amid rumors that they were eyeing a top defensive player with that pick. Stroud also apparently shares an agent with Deshaun Watson, so that was a talking point for some people.
However, they trusted their board I assume and took the best quarterback in the draft. Sticking Stroud in a Shanahan-style offense is going to pay strong dividends to the Texans. Stroud is an accurate and rhythm passer, so this fit should work.
Then, shockingly, they traded all the way up from the 12th overall pick, a pick they held from the Cleveland Browns, to the third overall pick. With that pick, they landed the best defensive player in the draft in Will Anderson Jr from Alabama.
What a sequence from Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans. They landed the best quarterback and best defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft in back to back picks, and they still have a ton of draft capital left in 2023.
Don’t look now, but the Houston Texans do have some nice pieces, especially on defense.
No, seriously, this defense could be a top 12 unit in 2023; here’s their projected depth chart on that side of the ball.
They have some dawgs up front in Will Anderson, Maliek Collins and Sheldon Rankins. Their linebacking core is rock solid with Christian Harris and Denzel Perryman, and their secondary is a nice mix of young and veteran players with Steven Nelson, Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre, and Derek Stingley Jr.
This unit being coached by DeMeco Ryans is going to be the best possible thing for them. Honestly, outside of needing another threat at wide receiver an some help along the offensive line, this Houston Texans’ roster is just about set.
The AFC South is also quite weak, so this is a team that could shock some in 2023.