The Houston Texans first round draft pick could shake up the draft. Of course, they’ve been shaking things up for the upcoming NFL Draft since their final regular season game last season. They were leading the way with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft until they beat the Indianapolis Colts thanks to a last-second touchdown and two-point conversion, ending the game 32-31. They won the game; they lost the No. 1 pick. Lovie Smith was fired as Texans head coach just hours later.
They are now holding the No. 2 pick with tons of questions remaining about their roster. Like most struggling teams in the NFL, they need a quarterback, which would normally be perfect for the No. 2 pick. But maybe not this year.
What the Houston Texans Will Do With Their First Round Pick
For the first time in years, this draft seems to present more risks than rewards. While every draft is filled with risky picks, this year seems to stand out, particularly at the quarterback position. Teams are looking for a Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or even a Lamar Jackson. What they’re getting is Bryce Young, Will Levis, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson, along with a handful of others.
In this case, who’s the best option for the Texans? That’s what millions of draft boards have been trying to predict for weeks now. Every single one of those aforementioned players has flaws that seem to keep them all right at even with each other. Should the Texans be sold on any of them?
Bryce Young
The former Alabama quarterback looks the part in all facets, except for one: size. This is a knock that will decrease Young’s value while propelling others up the board. Young showed he can make about any throw, make up for poor receiver play, and keep his team in games. This is the kind of quarterback suitable for the Texans, who need more than just Bryce Young. In 2022, they had one of the worst offensive lines in the league. They can at least build around Young — and just hope the offensive line doesn’t get him killed.
Will Levis
The newly beefed-up Will Levis, who is saying he’s in the best shape of his life, is an NFL prototype. At 6′-3″ and 231 lbs, Levis leaves NFL scouts drooling. He’s what they look for. He measured with the biggest hand size of all the early quarterback draft picks at 10 5/8 inches. If you’re building your quarterback on a Madden video game, he’ll probably resemble Levis. The former Kentucky Wildcat may can take a beating behind a less-than-stellar offensive line, but can he make up for all that’s lacking on a below-average Texans roster? He certainly didn’t have the best of rosters in the SEC, but he struggled often in 2022.
What is “processing”?
Learn it on paper—feel it in a game!!@_bryce_young has BY FAR the best feel in this class—to any spot on the field #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/l4B1aVoFgJ
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) April 12, 2023
C.J. Stroud
There’s a reason Ohio State quarterbacks are stereotyped: it’s because they haven’t produced in the NFL. Year in and year out it seems that Ohio State has the quarterback of the draft — but they never pan out. They’ve all been five-star recruits coming out of high school, usually a Heisman candidate, if not winner. But they also are surrounded by five-star talent, including wide receivers. There’s also a knock that Stroud’s extremely un-coachable. For first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, who, unlike his past two predecessors, hopes he can make it more than one season, this would be a bad pick.
Anthony Richardson
Possibly the most puzzling of potential quarterback picks in the year’s draft is Anthony Richardson. No one in NFL Combine history has had the glow-up like Richardson has had with his draft stock after he competed in the event. Richardson is coming off his final season with the Florida Gators with a completion percentage of 53.8. And yet, there are teams apparently seething to take him all because of his size, speed, and big arm. The Texans are certainly not the best-managed team in the league, so it wouldn’t shock many if they decided to take a chance on Richardson.
But it also shouldn’t shock anyone if they didn’t stay at No. 2.
Houston Texans Could Trade Down
The Houston Texans first round draft pick may not even be the No. 2 pick. Much like the Texans did in their final regular season game against the Colts, they have a chance to disrupt the whole draft once again. There are about six or more teams currently looking to trade up in the draft. If the Texans aren’t sold on any of the early quarterbacks, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for them to trade down. Remember, they have to fill holes in what feels like every position — quarterback is just one of them. But is there a franchise quarterback in this draft?
There will be teams that will take a chance on these quarterbacks. The question is — when will they take the chance on them? What pick? What round? All the early-picking teams seem leery of these quarterbacks, Houston included. Trading away the No. 2 pick would cause a potential frenzy.
Let’s say that Bryce Young is the best on the board but the Carolina Panthers take him at No. 1. If the Texans don’t like the other options, why would they keep the pick if they don’t want a quarterback? The Texans are in a good — albeit odd one — position to simply tank again if they want to wait until next season to potentially draft the better prospects in Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. They have the talent (or lack thereof) to gain a top-three pick again in the 2024 NFL Draft. If there are deals in place from say, the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, or the Atlanta Falcons that strike the fancy of Texans management, there could be a lot of people’s draft boards being ripped up.
Main Photo: Gary Cosby Jr – USA Today Sports
