Houston Texans fans have had an expectation since the club was 0-3-1 last season that they would be landing Alabama quarterback Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL draft.
Beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 to lose the No. 1 overall pick cast niggling doubt the Texans would have a shot at Young. The Carolina Panthers trading with the Chicago Bears for the top pick made the anxiety Houston would miss out on Young more palpable.
Mock drafts are split when it comes to the first two picks. Some have the Panthers ignoring Young while others have Houston looking for other options should Carolina pick Young.
The other quarterback in the draft class who is equally as experienced and worthy of face-of-the-franchise consideration is Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. However, there is consternation about the Texans settling for Stroud as he hasn’t been heavily linked to the Texans and isn’t as big of a favorite among the pundits as Young.
If the Texans had to take Stroud with the No. 2 pick, what big weakness would they have to work around?
According to Sam Monson from Pro Football Focus, the most vulnerable aspect of Stroud’s game is his ability to handle the pass rush.
Stroud’s biggest weakness has been play under pressure — outside of his college playoff game against Georgia this season. His PFF grade from a clean pocket this season finished at 93.4 but dropped to 42.0 when he was pressured. His 10.3 yards per attempt from a clean pocket became 5.7 when under duress, and he ranked in just the 10th percentile in PFF grade under pressure. The game against Georgia showed that he has it in him to excel in those circumstances, but the rest of his college tape shows he hasn’t been able to do it consistently.
To the Texans’ credit, regardless of they take, the club has fortified the offensive line with the Laremy Tunsil extension and the trading for guard Shaq Mason. Throw in former 2019 first-round tackle Tytus Howard and 2022 first-round guard Kenyon Green, and center is the only liability along the offensive line.
Stroud should be able to stand behind that line and throw. If not, Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary are more than capable to carry the load.
