With two first-round picks within the top-12, the Houston Texans have more options than road cones on Houston freeways.
Most mock drafts have the Texans going with a quarterback at No. 2 overall and then taking a receiver at No. 12 overall.
What if the Texans used their second Round 1 pick to take quarterback and used their No. 2 overall selection to grab an edge rusher?
Part of Houston’s problem in beating the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 in Week 18 was it cost them the No. 1 overall pick. That went to the Chicago Bears. While it may make more sense for them to grab Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at the top of the draft, they may take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.
Say the Bears go with Carter. That leaves Anderson available at No. 2 overall. If the Texans picked Anderson, they would still have access to the best quarterbacks in the draft class.
The Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 already have Kyler Murray. The Indianapolis Colts at No. 4 could take either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. The Denver Broncos at No. 5 have Russell Wilson. The Detroit Lions at No. 6 have unlocked Jared Goff. The Las Vegas Raiders are parting with Derek Carr, and may be players at quarterback at No. 7 overall, taking what is left between Stroud and Young.
At No. 8 overall, the Texans would have to strike a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, or else the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints could take Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Houston would need to trade their No. 12 overall pick and third-rounder to the Falcons take take Levis.
According to Mitch Kaiser from Pro Football Focus, Levis has some tools that the Texans would be able to utilize right out of the gate.
What he does well: Levis has elite physical tools for the quarterback position — if the draft were based on pure potential alone, he would probably go No. 1 overall.
He has exceptional arm talent with a lightning-quick release, and his 6-foot-3, 232-pound frame perfectly fits the NFL QB mold. He can make any throw on the football field, and there are times when he makes it look easy.
He’s not just a pocket passer either, as Levis also possesses a dynamic running ability that should bode well for him in the pros. He produced 516 rushing yards in 2021 — 287 designed yards and 229 scramble yards — so the dual-threat ability is still there. And I fully expect Levis to use his legs at the next level.
Where Levis would need to improve is with his accuracy and decision-making, according to Kaiser. If the Texans have a solid offensive mind as part of their new coaching staff, or add a quarterback-whisperer as QB coach, Levis should be able to develop into a dynamic signal caller over the course of his rookie contract.
And the Texans would have Anderson on the opposite side of the ball making Levis’ competition play down to a lower standard the whole time.
