The folks over at the 33rd Team put out some great NFL content and with the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, they graded the Houston Texans draft selections. I agree with some of the individual selection grades, some I do not, and I'm guessing a few fans will feel the same.
Either way, draft grades are meaningless and only accurate after being reassessed two or three years down the road but still fun to look at and read. Reviewing past drafts sound like a great topic for a later day but let's get into this year's draft and what the 33rd Team thought of the Texans' picks.
The best of the Texans' nine draft picks
The highest draft grade handed out was an A, given for the Texans' 167th pick, Alabama linebacker, Henry To'oTo'o. Here is what was said by the 33rd Team:
"DeMeco Ryan gets an athletic LB in Henry To’oTo’o (scouting report) and adds another piece to the Houston defense. To’oTo’o is tough and assignment sound."33rd Team
I like, approve and agree with this assessment. To'oTo'o was a great pick and has the potential to be a solid starting linebacker for the Texans. He was voted to the first-team All-Conference as a senior with 93 tackles, eight for a loss.
The worst of the Texans' nine draft picks
The lowest grade was handed out for the Texans' 109th pick, defensive lineman, Dylan Horton out of TCU. The 33rd Team gave this pick a C-. Here is what they had to say:
"The Texans got Anderson in the first round and grabbed Dylan Horton (scouting report) in the fourth to help Houston’s pass rush with his plus play strength and motor."33rd Team
I also agree with this grade. Horton was productive as a senior at TCU, recording 41 total quarterback pressures, with seven sacks. As with any draft pick, there is always potential. The problem with this selection is Horton was projected to go in the sixth round and the Texans reached, taking him in the fourth.
The remaining Texans' grade from the 2023 NFL Draft
The Texans received three B+ grades for the selection of the third overall pick, Alabama edge, Will Anderson Jr., Houston wide receiver, Nathaniel Dell, and Iowa State wide receiver, Xavier Hutchinson. The Texans' second overall pick, Ohio State quarterback, C.J. Stroud, received a grade of B.
The Texans also received two C+ grades for the selections of Penn State center, Juice Scruggs, and their final pick of the draft Pittsburgh safety, Brandon Hill. That leaves Notre Dame center, Jarrett Patterson, who received the only B- grade of the Texans nine draft selections.