The Houston Texans kept their 2023 NFL Draft plans a secret. There were reports about what they planned to do, but none of them ended up being accurate as Houston shook up the top of the draft. In the process, they landed foundational pieces on both sides of the ball.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Texans surprised a lot of people by selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. Leading up to the draft, there was chatter the franchise was going to pass on quarterback prospects for an edge rusher, either Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech or Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama.
It didn’t end up happening at No. 2, but at No. 3 it did. The Texans made a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire the No. 3 pick and select Anderson, giving them a premier pass rusher on defense.
It was a big risk as Houston traded away a future first-round pick that could very well end up near the top of the draft again. But, they got the players they wanted and are happy with the outcome.
On the field, the Texans should start showing some signs of progress. The young players provide optimism, but they added some established veterans in free agency as well to help push the process forward. One of those veterans was wide receiver, Robert Woods.
Woods was released earlier this offseason by the Tennessee Titans after one season with the team. He signed a two-year, $15.25 million deal with Houston and should be a prominent piece of their offensive plans. There is a chance he is the No. 1 receiver once the season gets underway.
In a recent press conference, Woods spoke glowingly about his new quarterback, Stroud. Woods provided a strong take on the former Buckeye as he believes Stroud is taking well to his new role.
“I would say a good leader already coming in, vocal, speaking up in meetings, being able to sit with him at times in the quarterback meetings and hearing him ask some great questions, trying to pick apart the offense and grasp it pretty early,” Woods said during a press conference at the Texans’ OTAs. “Out on the field, making some strong throws, good reads, good decisions.”
Stroud is the future of this franchise. It is certainly encouraging that he is making such an impact early on, enough so that a veteran such as Woods has taken notice and commented on it. There is still some work for Stroud to do, as he is competing with Davis Mills for the starting quarterback spot, but he is certainly off to a strong start in that race.
