Is the Houston Texans draft class from 2023 the best in franchise history?

It's hard to say what class of rookies the Houston Texans can claim as the definitive best of all time. It's such a hard concept to nail down, as so much of it is subjective. The team had so many good years of drafting that it's not as easy as just saying "Oh yeah, 20XX was the obvious choice!" Though, that's what some are trying to do.

After just one year, many are claiming the 2023 class of rookies that the Houston Texans drafted is already the defacto class that all others will be measured again. Maybe that's the case. It's certainly possible, just look at how good that class was. You had C.J. Stroud, a dynamic and possibly generational talent, Will Anderson, the best defensive rookie in the class, and Tank Dell, a developing prospect at wide receiver with real potential.

If you wanted to say that those three men are on their own worthy of being considered the best class in Texans history, you could. I would just remind you how badly recency can affect things. Yes, both Stroud and Anderson won Rookie of the Year Awards, but a class isn't measured by its first year but by its tenth, eleventh, and twelfth years.

the Texans had a good draft class in 2023, but we have to see if guys like Stroud, Anderson, and Dell can repeat their successes in season two. If they can't, then the whole notion of the 2023 class being the best ever could quickly change to the most disappointing ever. It's all about how these guys look long-term.

Yes, it's possible that this is the best draft class ever in Texans history but until we see them repeat this level of success across a host of years, then you're really not going to be able to say that they're the best convincingly.

You need time to prove you're consistent, otherwise you're a flash in the pan. Let's make sure the Texans class of 2023 continues to improve before we start making grand statements. Let's at least see how many players get a second contract with the team. I feel like that's a fair point in time before we start seriously suggesting the class as an all-time franchise great.