ereThe Houston Texans stunned the entire NFL world by moving up to select Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick. The Texans selected CJ Stroud No. 2 overall and then shocked everybody with a massive trade involving the Arizona Cardinals.
The Texans moved from No. 12 all the way to No. 3 for back-to-back picks, and the Cardinals moved down to No. 12 and added a flurry of picks in the process. Here's the full details, per Field Yates of ESPN.
‘The Texans trade: Pick 12, 33 and a 2024 first-round pick, 2024 3rd round The Cardinals trade: Pick 3, pick 105.'
That is quite the haul for the Cardinals to move down nine spots, and the Texans do something unheard of and totally out of left field. Now, let's grade the trade for both teams.
Texans Trade Grade
The Texans had plenty of rumors for a long time with CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Will Anderson Jr. all circulating at the No. 2 pick. But nobody in their right mind would've imagined the Texans landing Anderson AND Stroud. Yet, here we are.
Yes, the Texans dealt a first in 2024 and a third. However, they get a franchise cornerstone on the defensive side of the ball and arguably the top player in the entire draft class. That's a win. With Nick Caserio running the front office and former San Francisco 49ers HC DeMeco Ryans as head coach, it was clear they needed to make a massive splash.
Anderson was a massive wrecking ball at Alabama during his college career, and he will immediately become the center of the pass rush in Houston from Day One. The Texans trade a second, a first, and a third to move up nine spots, but this is a home run move by the Texans. Was it costly? Yes, but if Anderson pans out as we all expect, this is absolutely worth it.
Grade: B+
Cardinals Trade Grade
The Cardinals had been linked to a move down for weeks, so it isn't surprising to see them move down. The Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles were a couple of teams rumored to want to move up, but nobody had any clue about the Texans being one of the interested teams. The Cardinals have a lot of holes to fill on the roster, and new head coach Jonathan Gannon came to town. They were hit with a pick swap with the Philadelphia Eagles due to tampering, so they make up for it here.
The Cardinals then used some of that capital to move up to No. 6 and select Ohio State OL Paris Johnson, and their main priority was protecting QB Kyler Murray. Yet, the Cardinals moved down to No. 12, added picks and a first next year, then moved up. What a busy time for the Cardinals in an offseason full of question marks.
For weeks, the Cardinals moving down was an expectation, and landing a future first, a 2023 second, and a 2024 third round while moving down nine spots and trading a Day 3 pick is a massive victory in every shape and form.
In a weird way, this is a win for both sides. The Cardinals move down and get a guy they really wanted while adding assets. The Texans use their stockpile of draft capital and get an electric, dynamic pass rusher.
Grade: A+
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