The Texans landed their hopeful franchise cornerstones in the 2023 NFL Draft in quarterback C.J. Stroud (No. 2 overall) and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (No. 3). They highlight a nine-player draft class Houston hopes will accelerate its rebuild with new coach DeMeco Ryans.
In addition to Stroud and Anderson, center Juice Struggs (second round), receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (third), defensive end Dylan Horton (fourth), linebacker Henry T’oTo’o (fifth), center Jarrett Patterson (sixth), receiver Xavier Hutchinson (sixth) and safety Brandon Hill (seventh round).
What do the rookie draft picks mean for Houston?
A breakdown:
Quarterback (3): C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Case Keenum
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, is the Texans’ future. He’s the likely Week 1 starter, but Ryans may not feel pressured to throw the former Ohio State star into the fire right away. He has two experienced quarterbacks to lean on in Mills and Keenum, who’ve started a combined 90 NFL games.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Houston keep all three on its initial 53-man roster. Having multiple veteran quarterback voices to lean on could be beneficial for Stroud’s development.
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Wide receiver (6): Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie III, Tank Dell, Noah Brown, Xavier Hutchinson
The Texans have more wide receiver depth than they had a year ago. Even without a bonafide No. 1 option, it’s a group that gives Stroud a chance at success.
Woods, who had 53 catches for 527 yards and two touchdowns last season, will be two years removed from a torn ACL. Nico Collins was on pace for more than 800 receiving yards last season before a hamstring issue ended his 2022 campaign premature. Metchie, a second-round pick last year, is expected to be a contributor after missing his rookie season due to Leukemia. Dell, a third-rounder this year, is a twitchy, speedy playmaker for Stroud to grow with.
Running back (4): Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Dare Ogunbowale, Troy Hairston (FB)
Houston accomplished its goal of getting more running back depth behind Pierce, the engine of the offense. Singletary figures to be a strong No. 2 option. He had 1,099 yards from scrimmage last season with the Bills — 819 rushing yards and 280 receiving yards.
Tight end (4): Dalton Schultz, Eric Tomlinson, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan
Schultz is one of the better tight ends in the NFL, an insurance blanket that Stroud will be able to lean on. The former Dallas Cowboy has had more than 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He has a chance to be the Texans’ No. 1 receiving option.
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Offensive line (9): Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green, Juice Scruggs, Shaq Mason, Tytus Howard, Scott Quessenberry, Jarrett Patterson, Michael Deiter, Austin Deculus
The Texans upgraded at right guard by trading for Shaq Mason — A.J. Cann was released as a cap casualty — and have depth at center between draft picks Scruggs (second round) and Patterson (sixth round) and veteran Deiter.
The interior offensive line reinforcements bode in favor of an improved run game. Last season, Houston ranked near the bottom of the league in several run-blocking metrics: 30th in adjusted line yards (quantifies OL responsibility on running back carries), 30th in second-level yards (yards earned by RB between five-to-10 yards past the line of scrimmage, divided by carries) and 26th in stuffed rate (percentage of runs the RB is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage), according to Football Outsiders.
Defensive line (9): Will Anderson Jr., Jonathan Greenard, Maliek Collins, Sheldon Rankins, Jerry Hughes, Hassan Ridgeway, Roy Lopez, Kurt Hinish, Chase Winovich
If Anderson becomes the star he’s projected to become, the steep haul to jump from No. 12 to 3 in the draft to grab him will have been worth it to the Texans. In 2023, Anderson, Greenard and Hughes could give Houston a formidable trio of pass rushers.
Houston’s run defense, which gave up 170.2 rushing yards per game last season, should be much improved with the additions of Rankins and Ridgeway at defensive tackle.
Linebacker (6): Christian Harris, Christian Kirksey, Denzel Perryman, Cory Littleton, Henry To’oTo’o, Garret Wallow
The linebacker reinforcements the Texans have made this offseason are another sign that the run defense should be improved in 2023. Harris should take a step in Year 2 as a starter. Perryman and Littleton are former Pro Bowlers.
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Defensive back (9): Derek Stingley Jr., Steven Nelson, Jalen Pitre, Jimmie Ward, Steven Nelson, Desmond King II, Tavierre Thomas, M.J. Stewart, Eric Murray
There’s some uncertainty at cornerback long-term — Nelson, 30, is entering a contract year — but that should be one of the best position groups on the roster in 2023. Stingley and Pitre should continue to grow in Year 2. Ward is a veteran safety that knows Ryans’ defensive scheme from their time together in San Francisco.
Specialists: Ka’imi Fairbairn (K), Jon Weeks (LS), Cameron Johnston (P), Desmond King II (PR, KR), Tank Dell (PR)
The Texans had one of the NFL’s best special teams units last season, ranking second in DVOA metric. Houston lost its primary kick returner, Tremon Smith, in free agency but Dell should be able to fill that void, and add depth behind King as the punt returner. In 32 games at Houston, Dell returned 17 kicks for 312 yards.
The big picture
It’s critical that the Texans are a more competitive team in 2023, a bigger player in the AFC South. General manager Nick Caserio’s job status may depend on it.
Houston now has elite players or top-three draft picks at every premium position except wide receiver — at quarterback (Stroud), left tackle (Tunsil), cornerback (Stingley) and edge rusher (Anderson). Including the aggressive move for Anderson, the team traded up five times in this year’s draft for players they wanted. Every immediate need on the roster has been addressed, between the draft picks and veterans on short-term deals. After 13 losses each of the last two seasons, the Texans have reason to believe they won’t be a bottom-dwelling team in the NFL in 2023.
Realistically, the Texans are probably still at least a year away from being challenging for the AFC South title, but winning six or seven games is a realistic goal for 2023. Even with Stroud needing time to come into his own, a bolstered run game around Pierce, a strong wide receiver room and an improved defense gives Ryans something to build with.
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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