Before the 2023 NFL Draft began, the Houston Texans didn’t know how they were going to pull it off, but they knew they wanted two specific prospects projected to go in the first five picks. It wasn’t a move that was expected, but the Texans somehow emerged with C.J. Stroud, a 22-year-old they hoped would someday develop into the franchise quarterback of the future. But they also came back and traded up for Will Anderson, who was widely projected as the top edge rusher in the 2023 draft class.
How did the Texans pull it off? Well, they paid a pretty penny, one that a team coming off a three-win season would rarely have the guts to do, especially after firing their head coach for the third time in the past three seasons.
Nick Caserio felt he finally had the right head coach with DeMeco Ryans. Now, he needed to find a franchise cornerstone. Little did he know, the Texans would actually become enamored with multiple prospects that they felt compelled to emerge with two potential faces of the franchise, with Anderson becoming too good to pass up too.
In the end, the Texans traded the 12th pick, the 33rd pick, plus a 2024 1st and 2024 3rd-round pick for the right to also come away with Anderson in addition to Stroud. They also got the 105th pick, which was later traded.
Teams who trade so much draft capital usually do so for the right to draft a potential franchise QB, but a pass rusher?
The Texans’ sudden success was certainly what Houston hoped for, but it’s not expected. Just look at how Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers are faring in the No. 1 pick’s first season as a pro. Sitting in last place of the division? That’s more often than not how a rookie QB’s first season goes, especially when playing for a team bad enough to earn the top pick.
But the situation is slightly different in Carolina, who won seven games a season ago and only had the top pick after trading the ninth pick and an assortment of other assets for the selection. With both teams starting over with new coaching staffs, one would think they would be on a level playing field, with the Panthers possibly slightly ahead thanks to having a more experienced coach and seemingly a stronger roster based on their previous season’s win total.
- C.J. Stroud’s stats this season: 2,270 passing yards, 14 TD, 1 INT, 62% comp. rate
- Will Anderson’s stats this season: 30 tackles (3 for loss), 2 sacks, 9 QB hits
Yet, the Texans and Panthers look like teams headed in opposite directions just seven months after making arguably the biggest decisions in franchise history. Instead, the Panthers will be sitting at home without their 2024 first-round pick, watching the Chicago Bears add a top-five talent (possibly even a No. wideout like Marvin Harrison Jr.) that was supposed to be their selection. Painful.
Meanwhile, the Texans are fighting for a playoff spot and don’t care that they won’t have a pick projected to be 16th if the season ended today. With Stroud looking wise beyond his years, throwing the fewest interceptions among NFL starting QBs this season, the Texans don’t have any reason to second-guess their decisions from this past April.
Most teams add talent year by year, but the Texans quickly realized they didn’t want to delay development. They saw an opportunity to pay a premium price for an elite prospect, and it’s paying early dividends. Besides, after the success they’re having with Stroud, there’s no guarantee a player of Anderson’s caliber would have been available by the time they picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Plus, then they’d be developing a rookie all over again.
Now Stroud and Anderson can enter next season with a full year under their belts and possibly even some playoff experience. Plus, it’s not like the Texans don’t still have a first-round pick in 2024, thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade. That pick currently projects to be 24th, still giving the Texans a chance at a player they may have considered with their original selection anyway. While trades like this are rarely won after the first six months, the Texans’ decision-makers look like geniuses so far, mostly because Stroud is playing so well.
Related: See where C.J. Stroud lands in Sportsnaut’s 2023 NFL QB rankings after Sunday’s win