The Houston Texans will be in a favorable situation when the 2023 NFL draft rolls around.
Current projections have the Texans finishing with the No. 1 overall pick and an equally high second-round selection. The trade with the Cleveland Browns from the 2022 offseason also provides the Texans with an opportunity to add talent in the middle of the first round.
According to Luke Easterling from the Draft Wire, the Texans give up on their current quarterback situation and go with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
If the Texans are picking this high, it’s likely the Davis Mills experiment didn’t go well. Stroud has all the tools to be a franchise passer at the next level, and has already put up huge numbers against top competition.
Stroud would have an assortment of weapons to work with in Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, and John Metchie with Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green under contract as his bodyguards. Dameon Pierce should also be an effective rusher at that point to take the burden off the rookie signal caller.
With the No. 19 overall pick in Round 1, Houston addresses the edge rusher situation with the selection of Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey.
Houston reloaded their secondary with top talent in the 2022 draft, but Lovie Smith’s defense doesn’t work if the front four can’t get consistent pressure. Foskey has a well-rounded skill set that would allow him to flourish in this scheme, and he would make an immediate impact.
Going with Foskey could signal the end for defensive end Jonathan Greenard’s tenure in Houston.
The Texans use their No. 33 pick in Round 2 to give Derek Stingley a partner in the secondary in South Carolina’s Cam Smith.
The first three picks would give Houston a quarterback for the future, an edge rusher to get after opposing passers, and another dynamic cornerback to create a no-fly zone.
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