The 2023 NFL draft is drawing nigh, which means there is even more of a flurry of late-addition mock drafts to be filed across the sports media.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his fourth and final mock draft of the offseason Wednesday, and it is no secret what he thinks the Houston Texans should do.
After the Carolina Panthers take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to kick off the draft, the Texans follow up by selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick.
There is a lot of information swirling around this pick, but I keep coming back to common sense. Houston needs a quarterback, and Stroud’s the best one available at No 2.
The Texans wouldn’t need to worry about common sense if they had not failed to secure the No. 1 overall pick. However, the win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 along with the Chicago Bears beating the Minnesota Vikings ensured Houston would not lead off the draft in Kansas City. The Bears dealt the selection to the quarterback-needy Panthers, and the Texans get to watch Carolina presumably take Bryce Young to start off the draft.
Jeremiah has the Texans taking Stroud, which should also be a no-brainer. Yet the Texans are still committed to taking a dominant edge rusher in the top-5 and go ahead and package their No. 12 overall pick along with other selections to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.
It’s no secret that Arizona wants to trade out of No. 3, and it’s no secret that Houston is seriously considering an edge rusher with the second pick. Both teams get what they want in this scenario. Houston now has a pillar on each side of the ball.
The price Houston pays to take Anderson is the only possibly downside to this otherwise fabulous first-round haul.
