Getty Image / Stacy Revere
At the start of this year’s NFL offseason, it seemed pretty clear that the first two picks in the draft would be Bryce Young and CJ Stroud.
As we approach the start of the draft, the Carolina Panthers are expected to do their part and pick Bryce Young 1st overall.
However, the Houston Texans have decided to make the 2nd pick one of the biggest mysteries of draft season.
There have been reports in recent weeks that the Texans could pass on CJ Stroud and instead draft either Will Anderson or Tyree Wilson.
Anderson is currently a massive betting favorite to be the pick and there has even been talk about teams trying to move up to pick 3 to draft Stroud.
Now it turns out they might just end up actually drafting Stroud.
According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, there is a growing sense that the Texans are going to draft a quarterback.
Here’s my @SportsCenter liveshot from Houston with @sagesteele on what the #Texans are expected to do with picks 2 and 12 in tonight’s #NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/yJmYEkmv1j
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) April 27, 2023
This feels a lot like a couple of years ago when reports leading up to the draft indicated that the San Francisco 49ers would draft Mac Jones 3rd overall after making a big trade up despite the fact that many believed Trey Lance to be the right pick at 3.
The day of the draft the narrative began to change and the 9ers ended up with Lance.
This year, Stroud seems like the obvious choice at pick 2. The Texans’ QB play was horrendous last year and there’s no guarantee they end up with a top 2 pick again next year to grab one of the big names in that draft.
Anderson or Wilson could both be great players in the league, but neither will have the impact on their franchise that a top QB could.
The Houston Texans have given themselves a fresh start this over the last couple of years by bringing in a new GM last year and a new head coach this year. Now they should bring in a new QB they can build around.