When you look back at the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans had arguably the best haul. They were able to pick up their future starting quarterback in CJ Stroud and the best overall player in Will Anderson Jr. It was a steep price to pay for the Texans but they now have young leaders to build around on both sides of the ball. How will these moves affect them this season? Let’s break that down further and offer a record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.
The Good
DeMeco Ryans was one of the hottest head coaching candidates after last season. The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best defensive units over the last 2 years under Ryans. He will now be tasked with rebuilding the Texans from the ground up and build a winning culture. While the Texans defense had its struggles in 2022 it has many young talented pieces to build on. Will Anderson will be an instant difference maker and is the favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. On the back end, Safety Jalen Pitre had an outstanding rookie season in which he hauled in 5 interceptions. These two players along with Ryans have me excited for the Texans defense going forward
The Bad
With the 2nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. I was and still am a fan of this pick. Stroud showed promise in the college football semi-final matchup with Georgia. The Bulldogs are full of studs on defense and Stroud still put up 348 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. He also showcased his running ability several times during the game. I was hoping the Texans would surround Stroud with more offensive weapons but that’s not the case.
The Texans were able to bring in tight end Dalton Schultz from the Cowboys but lack explosive wide receivers. Nico Collins showed some promise last season but he is more of a number 3 wide receiver. They also brought in Robert Woods this offseason but it seems Woods has lost a step since his time in Los Angeles. There is one bright spot for the Texans and that’s rookie Tank Dell. If Dell can develop and learn the offense quickly he has the potential to make big plays.
The Prediction
It’s important for Houston Texans fans to be patient as the team goes through this rebuild. Houston has young bright stars on both sides of the ball and a head coach that will challenge them. This year will be a struggle but going forward the Texans will only get better.
2023 Record: 5-12 (4th in the Division)
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