One area where the Houston Texans could stand to get better is in the passing game.
The Texans had the eighth-lowest passing offense in the NFL in 2022 with 3,344 yards. Even in 2002, the Texans’ inaugural year, that number would have been the 13th-lowest in the league.
According to Luke Easterling from the Draft Wire, who released his latest first-round projections following the completion of conference championship weekend, the Texans use their No. 2 overall pick in Round 1 to address quarterback. Houston picks Alabama’s Bryce Young, and there are no tricks such as a team leaping the Texans to make a deal with the Chicago Bears for No. 1 overall. The Texans get the first quarterback off the board straight up.
Young would give the Texans an instant star at the position, something that has been lacking since the completion of the 2020 season. At best, the Texans would be getting a Drew Brees starter kit. At worst, they could be getting Kyler Murray — Call of Duty notwithstanding.
The Texans use their No. 12 overall pick — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to take TCU wideout Quentin Johnston. Although the Georgia Bulldogs crushed the Horned Frogs in the national championship game, Johnston made his case throughout the 2022 season with 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-4, 193 pounds, Johnston would give Young a huge target and another dynamic target to go along with Nico Collins and John Metchie.
The advantage of taking a quarterback and a receiver together in Round 1 would be both would have the fifth-year option built into their contracts. Houston could use that later down the road to facilitate salary cap space as they attempted to keep both under contract — or entice a suitor to take Johnston in a trade because of the flexibility of a fifth-year option.
