The Houston Texans have had a productive offseason. Even though they traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys, they found an adequate replacement in Robert Woods. On top of that, they acquire several players that should have a big impact in 2023. On the other hand, the Texans haven't addressed their biggest need yet, the quarterback position.
Fortunately, Houston is equipped with two first-round selections, including the No. 2 overall pick, which they could use to choose Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. In fact, there will be several intriguing quarterback prospects who will be available when Houston is on the clock but here are five reasons Stroud must be the pick.
5. CJ Stroud is the best quarterback prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft
There could be a run at the quarterback position early in the first round and as many as five signal-callers could be picked in the top 10. However, CJ Stroud might be the best of the bunch. Bryce Young, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, and Hendon Hooker are all worthy of being taken in the first round but Stroud should get the nod at No. 2.
The former Ohio State Buckeye isn't a perfect prospect. He needs to do a better job of throwing when he's on the move and creating plays when he's flushed out of the pocket. However, he's got the ideal size, experience, and skill set to develop into a starting NFL quarterback.
Meanwhile, Young's height (5'10") is less than optimal for the position and Levis struggles to diagnose the field and struggled with turnovers at Kentucky. Similarly, Hooker tore his ACL last year and will be a 25-year-old rookie. Last but not least is Anthony Richardson, who has an absurdly high ceiling but might need to ride the bench for a couple of years before he's ready to lead an offense.
4. The Houston Texans must find their face of the franchise
Several great players have suited up for the Texans throughout the years. Andre Johnson was one of the best receivers of the 2000s. Who can forget running back Arian Foster racking up yards with ease and how about J.J. Watt? Nobody will raise an eyebrow if you say he'll be a First-Ballot Hall-of-Famer. Unfortunately, Houston has gone through a dearth of playmakers in recent years and fans will be hard-pressed to find many players with star power on their roster.
You can make the case that Laremy Tunsil is one of the best players in the NFL and nobody will disagree. However, left tackles don't have the same kind of appeal that quarterbacks possess. Otherwise, you would hear talking heads talking about Trent William or Garrett Boyles non-stop. Simply, this is a quarterback-driven league and your team will turn heads if you have a good one.
The Texans did have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson as recently as 2020. However, the former Clemson Tiger decided one day that he no longer wanted to play for Houston and demanded a trade. His request, along with his legal woes, gave general manager Nick Caserio no choice but to ship Watson to the Browns.
While the sour taste left by Watson's departure is now gone, Houston hasn't found a replacement and that's where Stroud comes in. The California native could start a new era of Texans football. If Stroud comes in and helps Houston win games right off the bat, fans will forget all the adversity the Texans have undergone over the last few years.
Simply, the Texans have undergone plenty of turnover over the last three years and haven't given fans many reasons for optimism. Stroud could come in and give them something to root for just like Watson when they drafted him 10th overall in 2017.
3. Davis Mills isn't the answer at quarterback for the Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson was a top-5 quarterback early in his NFL career, so there was no reason for the Texans to make a heavy investment at the position. However, Watson threw a curveball at them he told them he was no longer interested in playing for them and chose to sit out the 2021 season instead. Thus, then-head coach Dave Culley decided to turn to Davis Mills, a third-round pick in that year's draft.
Culley was standing on shaky grounds at the time, so he didn't lose anything by giving Mills a chance to prove he belonged in the NFL. And all things considered, the former Stanford Cardinal had a decent rookie campaign, completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,667 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
It's true that Mills wouldn't have gotten an opportunity if Tyrod Taylor hadn't gotten hurt but he exceeded expectations in 2021, which prompted Lovie Smith to give him a shot to earn the job on a long-term basis last year.
Unfortunately, Mills couldn't seize the opportunity and came crashing down in 2022, going 292-of-479 (61.0 percent completion rate) for 3,118 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Although those aren't bad numbers, they aren't the ones you expect from a franchise quarterback, and the worst thing the Texans could do is to think the Georgia native can still get better.
Granted, Mills didn't have a great supporting cast but if you expect your offense to make your quarterback better and not the other way around, you should then cut the plug, which is what Houston should do with Mills.
2. The Houston Texans have hoarded talent the last two years
Bill O'Brien was an adequate head coach for the Texans but was a terrible talent evaluator. Once he won a power struggle with Rick Smith and was named general manager, O'Brien shipped most of the team's playmakers and left the roster devoid of talent, which is one of the many reasons he was kicked to the curb in 2020. To make matters worse, former vice president of football operations Jack Easterby often meddled in personnel decisions, which made it difficult for Nick Caserio to load up on talent in 2021.
However, owner Cal McNair came back to his senses and parted ways with Easterby, which has allowed Caserio to do his job to the best of his capacity. Without Easterby's interference, Caserio has restocked the roster the last two years. Although Houston didn't get much production from cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., the third overall pick in last year's player selection meeting, their 2022 draft class came through.
In particular, running back Dameon Pierce showed he could carry a heavy workload, nearly reaching the 1,000-yard mark and reaching the end zone four times. Moreover, John Metchie III is expected to make his NFL debut after being diagnosed with leukemia last year.
Stingley should make strides in 2023 and David Singletary will join Pierce in Houston's backfield. But they're not the only players that are expected to make an impact next season. Dalton Schultz, who inked a one-year deal worth $9 million in free agency, should play a big role on offense. Schultz has been one of the best tight ends in the league over the last three years and Caserio managed to secure his services on an affordable deal.
On defense, the Texans acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Denzel Perryman, safety Jimmie Ward and cornerback Travierre Thomas, the three of them will tentatively step into starting roles.
Even though Houston still has a few roster holes, they can continue addressing them in the draft, which is precisely they can't afford to pass on C.J. Stroud. They have fortified their roster the last two seasons and they shouldn't put all the work to waste. Why not draft a potential franchise quarterback and plug him into the starting lineup as soon as possible?
1. The Houston Texans can't afford to wait for Caleb Williams in 2024
You have probably heard that future favors the bold and the Texans need to apply that thought process when searching for their next franchise quarterback. Being bold doesn't mean that they should be reckless but rather than taking on calculated risks can pay off big dividends.
Caleb Williams is expected to be the top quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft but many things can happen between now and then. He could show that he might be as good as he's believed to be or maybe he'll suffer a serious injury. Simply, it's hard to predict the future. However, the Texans' brass control their present and that's where their focus should be.
They could pass on C.J. Stroud this year and use the No. 2 pick at a different position. Then, hope that Williams falls to them next year but that would require many things to go their way, including many that won't be in their control. Nobody knows what teams will be in the quarterback market in 2024. In the same manner, the supply of quarterbacks in next year's draft isn't yet determined.
Furthermore, there's a chance Houston will win more games than expected and end with a late-round pick instead of one in the top 10 in 2023. If that's the case, they would have to trade up several spots in the draft and that wouldn't even guarantee that they have a shot at landing Williams.
When you take into account that the Texans will be in a position to take Stroud this year, they're probably better off going with the bird at No. 2 rather than going for the one in the bush in 2024.