Since 2002 the rule of thumb in the AFC South is the Indianapolis Colts beat the Houston Texans.
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the Colts beat the Texans to the punch and take the first quarterback overall in his latest three-round mock for the 2023 NFL draft. The Colts work with the Chicago Bears to obtain No. 1 overall and take Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Texans are free and clear to take Alabama’s Bryce Young, who may have been their intended target all along.
Which gives the Texans Young — not a bad consolation prize. Of course, there will be a lot of talk about Young’s size (an official 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds following Young’s obvious postseason eating binge), but when you watch the tape, it’s not really a problem. Like most smaller quarterbacks who survive several seasons at a high level, Young isn’t just a mobile guy — he also knows how to avoid hits, and that’s an important skill. He has all the tools and traits to become Houston’s much-needed franchise quarterback.
Houston uses their No. 12 overall pick in Round 1 — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to grab USC receiver Jordan Addison. The 21-year-old met with the Texans at the NFL combine and said he had a “good meeting,” according to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV.
The Texans get a heck of a linebacker to team up with Christian Harris and Christian Kirksey as they take Arkansas’ Drew Sanders No. 33 overall in Round 2. Sanders incidentally was a linebacker at Alabama from 2020-21 before transferring to Arkansas last year.
At Nos. 65 and 73 overall, the Texans beef up their defensive line with Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore and grab another linebacker with Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace. With Houston grabbing two linebackers in the first three rounds, it would not bode well for Kirksey or third-year Garret Wallow.
