2023 NFL Draft: Do Not Rule Out Houston Texans Passing On QB

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We are just over two weeks away from the 2023 NFL Draft. Rumors and headlines are beginning to circulate even earlier than past draft cycles. Plus, not a lot of people are completely sure of who will be the number one overall pick, similar to last year. One team that is involved in some of the top draft headlines is the Houston Texans.

The expectation from most people is that this team will undoubtedly select a quarterback with the number two overall pick. Could that still happen? Absolutely. However, there may be some merit to them passing on a passer and not selecting a quarterback in that spot.

If that were to happen, what recent trends or headlines support that being the case for the Texans? Is Houston truly only interested in one of the top quarterbacks available? Let’s answer that and more in one of the more fascinating draft questions to be had entering the real selections.

Are Recent Trends Showing A Sign?

As mentioned above, it was truly anyone’s guess as to who the Carolina Panthers were going to take at number one overall. They would not have traded up and moved that much draft capital in order to avoid selecting a quarterback. All told, there are still only a few people who truly know what Carolina’s plans may be to kick off the draft. But in certain areas, there is strong belief that the Panthers could be selecting one specific player.

In the last handful of days, the betting markets have shifted considerably. Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud had been the odds-on favorite to be the number one overall pick for quite some time. That was especially true after the Panthers opted to trade up. Yet, the markets have swung significantly to the favor of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

For a brief moment late last week, the odds between Stroud and Young were tied as the favorites to go number one. But now, Young is firmly in the driver’s seat within the betting markets as the favorite for the first selection. As of this writing, DraftKings now lists Bryce Young at -300 to be the number one overall pick. CJ Stroud has slid to +210 odds, a solid enough gap between the two from where it was previously. Meanwhile, FanDuel now provides a significant gap for the number one overall pick as well. For them, Young is the favorite at -250 and Stroud sits at +175 odds.

Focused On Young?

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You can debate whether it is true or not, but there are suggestions that the Houston Texans may only be comfortable in selecting Bryce Young from this quarterback class. No matter what you make of that, the buzz connecting Young and Houston has been there since the end of the NFL season. And largely, no other quarterback prospect has been reportedly seen as glowingly from the Texans’ side of things, as Young has.

That could very well increase the chances that the Texans pass on a quarterback at number two overall, assuming the Panthers take Bryce Young at one. Despite that being a surprising possibility for some, Houston could be smart to wait on a quarterback for multiple reasons. That is especially true if they view Young as the only worthy option from this year’s crop of passers. To boot, Houston is better off only investing a premium asset in somebody they love, rather than just somebody they like, so to speak.

Houston May Not Be Ready For Rookie QB

One of the reasons as to why the Houston Texans could honestly pass on a quarterback at two overall is their current roster construction. Unsurprisingly, this roster is one of the worst on paper in the entire NFL. They made a lot of offensive free agent moves this offseason. Quite frankly, there is a solid foundation forming on the offensive line. Whereas with the pass catchers, there is more juice there now than what there used to be in recent years.

Even with those offensive free agent additions, the Houston Texans are nowhere near ready to compete. That makes the vision of adding a rookie quarterback extremely skeptical. Throwing an inexperienced passer into the fire from the jump may only stunt the growth of this rebuilding team. If it were me, the best interest of the Texans would be to build around the quarterback spot first, before eventually getting their face of the franchise for the future.

Time Is On Texans’ Side

There is truthfully some support in the case of the Texans passing on a quarterback at two overall. After two straight years of going one-and-done with head coaches that were given no shot, new head coach DeMeco Ryans has a long runway. His leash appears to be long. That is due to the six-year deal he signed and perhaps him being a former player for the organization, overall.

He knows just as much as anyone that there are a wide variety of needs to address on this team. Fixing those holes will not be completed overnight. Possibly, Ryans and Houston look to beef up the defense at two overall with Alabama EDGE defender Will Anderson, while passing on a rookie quarterback. You could also find another blue-chip addition at 12th overall in the first round.

Beyond that, the Texans currently hold four other picks in the top 105 this year (picks 33, 65, 73, 104). Not to mention, Houston has a second first-round pick scheduled for 2024 also, because of the Deshaun Watson trade. With time on their side and many chances to select the best player available, the Texans should not force a quarterback selection at two overall if they do not believe in it.

Be on the lookout for more FPC 2023 NFL Draft articles and analysis in the coming days. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.