Following months of scouting and rumors, the 2023 NFL Draft is officially over. With 259 players finding out where their pro careers will start, the league now has a general idea of what the upcoming years have in store. Rebuilding organizations such as the Houston Texans are likely eyeing more success in 2023, which means their draft picks might need to contribute right away.
In 2022, the Texans finished 3-13-1 and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight year. One of those wins came in the final week of the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts. Houston was securing the No. 1 pick in the Draft with a loss but a last-minute touchdown and a successful two-point conversion moved the team down to No. 2.
With hopes of turning things around, the front office was very active in the draft, including making trades in the first round. Houston made a total of nine selections, two of them in the top three and two on Day 2.
With that being said, here are all the rookies from the Houston Texans’ 2023 NFL Draft class.
1st round, No. 2 overall: C.J. Stroud, QB – Ohio State
After some rumors saying that the Texans would not select a quarterback with their first-round pick, they quickly addressed the situation by choosing C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State at No. 2 overall.
In 2022, Stroud completed 66.2% of his passes for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He also added 74 rushing yards. He led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record, which included an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
For his performance, Stroud earned Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten honors. This marked the second year in a row that he received All-American and All-Conference recognitions.
In three seasons at Ohio State, the quarterback went 21-4 as a starter with a Big Ten Championship Game appearance in 2021. He completed 69.3% of his passes for 7,775 yards and 81 touchdowns versus 12 picks. On the ground, he also recorded 102 yards and a score.
Most notably, Stroud was a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy during his time as a Buckeye. He finished in fourth place in 2021 and third in 2022.
1st round, No. 3 overall: Will Anderson Jr., LB – Alabama
Following the Stroud selection, the Texans made a big move by trading up to No. 3 in exchange for a package that included the No. 12 overall pick and a future first-rounder. They would end up selecting linebacker Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama.
In three years under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, Anderson totaled 204 tackles with 114 being solo, four pass deflections, one forced fumble and a pick-six. Most importantly, he recorded 34.5 sacks, leading the country with 17.5 in 2021. That same year, he also had a nation-best 34.5 tackles for loss.
The outside linebacker is a two-time unanimous All-American and two-time winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is presented to the best defender in college football regardless of position. He also earned back-to-back SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Houston had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2022, allowing 24.7 points per game. With Anderson, things could certainly change for the better in 2023.
2nd round, No. 62 overall: Juice Scruggs, C – Penn State
The Texans once again traded up, this time to acquire the No. 62 overall pick in the second round. With the selection, they chose center Juice Scruggs out of Penn State.
In his first season as a starter in 2021, Scruggs was an All-Big Ten honorable mention. This past year, he was the starting center for the Nittany Lions, earning a Third-Team All-Big Ten nod from the coaches of the conference.
With his help, Penn State finished No. 7 in the national rankings as it defeated the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl.
3rd round, No. 69 overall: Nathaniel Dell, WR – Houston
One of the team's main losses this offseason was the departure of Brandin Cooks. The Texans traded the veteran away despite him leading the roster in many receiving categories. Because of that, they selected wide receiver Nathaniel Dell out of Houston with the No. 69 overall pick in the third round.
In his final year with the Cougars, Dell had 109 catches for 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns. This was the second season in a row that he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and had double-digit scores.
For his performance, the wideout received his second consecutive First-Team All-AAC honor.
4th round, No. 109 overall: Dylan Horton, DE – TCU
In the fourth round, Houston opted to focus on defense. The Texans' front office chose defensive end Dylan Horton out of TCU with the No. 109 overall pick.
In his final year with the Horned Frogs, Horton recorded 48 total tackles with 31 being solo, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. He also had a career-best 10 sacks.
With him as a crucial part of the defensive unit, TCU had perhaps one of the most surprising seasons in recent memory. After starting the year unranked, the team went undefeated in the regular season, making it all the way to the Big 12 and National Championship Games.
5th round, No. 167 overall: Henry To'oTo'o, LB – Alabama
With the No. 167 overall pick in the fifth round, the Texans selected Henry To'oTo'o out of Alabama. He joined college teammate Anderson as the team's new linebackers for the 2023 season.
As a senior for the Crimson Tide, he had 94 total tackles with 45 being solo and 2.5 sacks. He previously spent two seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers before joining Alabama in 2021.
To'oTo'o was named a First-Team All-SEC player in 2022. This marked his third consecutive nod to an all-conference team after being a second-team member in 2020 and 2021.
6th round, No. 201 overall: Jarrett Patterson, OL – Notre Dame
In the sixth round, the Texans chose Jarrett Patterson out of Notre Dame. He was the second offensive lineman Houston selected in 2023, joining second-rounder Scruggs.
In his career, Patterson started 34 games at center and 12 at left guard. Playing more than 3,000 offensive snaps, he only allowed five quarterback hits and zero sacks.
6th round, No. 205 overall: Xavier Hutchinson, WR – Iowa State
Houston ended up going for another wideout in the draft after selecting Dell on Day 2. This time, the front office picked Xavier Hutchinson from Iowa State with the No. 205 overall selection.
The First-Team All-American caught 107 passes for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns this past season. He was also a three-time First-Team All-Big 12 during his time as a Cyclone.
7th round, No. 248 overall: Brandon Hill, S – Pittsburgh
To wrap up their 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Pittsburgh's safety Brandon Hill with the No. 248 overall pick in the seventh and final round.
In his final year as a Panther, Hill registered 67 total tackles with 39 being solo and two pass breakups. He also recovered a fumble which he returned for a touchdown.
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