The Houston Texans’ plans heading into the 2023 NFL Draft are crystal clear. They are aiming to land one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class. Set to pick No. 2, that is certainly a realistic expectation to have.
With DeMeco Ryans taking over as head coach and putting a plan in place with general manager Nick Caserio, landing a franchise quarterback is their No. 1 task. But, what happens in the event that there is only one prospect that the Texans like and that player is selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers?
More than likely, they are comfortable with at least two players, otherwise they would have gotten aggressive and jumped up to the No. 1 pick in a trade with the Chicago Bears. But, should there only be one, that would be a worst-case scenario for Houston. They cannot go into the 2023 season with Davis Mills as the starter again.
If that is the case, the Texans could emerge as a surprise suitor for Lamar Jackson. Over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell put together one 2023 NFL Mock Draft in which every team made a trade with their selection. At the No. 2 pick, he made a bold hypothetical deal for Houston, acquiring the former MVP from the Baltimore Ravens.
What could a deal between the Texans and Ravens look like? A suggested trade package would be Houston receiving Jackson and the No. 22 overall pick in exchange for the No. 2 pick, No. 73 and a 2024 fourth-round conditional selection.
This is short of even what the Ravens would receive in exchange for Jackson should he sign an offer sheet with a team that Baltimore opts to not match as a non-exclusive free agent. But, if the Ravens are nervous Jackson could depart in 2024 without receiving any compensation, this is better than nothing.
Baltimore could use the No. 2 pick on their next franchise quarterback while picking up two middle-round assets. While there is a lot of work remaining to get the Texans’ roster up to speed to contend for the playoffs, Jackson would fill their need for a franchise quarterback.
It would be fun seeing him play in an offense led by Bobby Slowik, their new offensive coordinator who was the passing game coordinator for Kyle Shanahan on the San Francisco 49ers. Jackson had similar actions run for him in Baltimore for years that the 49ers were installing for Lance.
Still with two first-round picks at Nos. 12 and 22, Houston would be able to add immediate impact players to help upgrade the rest of the roster. A wide receiver would almost certainly be selected at one of those spots to join Robert Woods, Nico Collins and hopefully John Metchie atop the depth chart.
