Anyone who believed that the Houston Texans would make the chalk pick of quarterback C.J. Stroud near the top of the NFL draft was proven right.
Then again, anyone who bought into the recent conflicting buzz that the Texans would pick the top defensive player was just as correct.
No sooner had Stroud finished hugging NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected No. 2 overall than the Texans were back on the clock after trading up with the Arizona Cardinals to No. 3. Just like that, pass-rusher Will Anderson was following Stroud up to the stage with his own Texans hat on his head.
“I was juiced up and then I saw the [the city of Houston] and I knew it was rocking,” Stroud told reporters. “I wanted them to go get Will. The trade was surprising, but it was dope. I’m very excited for Will to be my teammate.”
Under pressure to finally replace Deshaun Watson with a franchise quarterback after two seasons of toiling with Davis Mills, Tyrod Taylor, Kyle Allen and Jeff Driskel as starters, general manager Nick Caserio made the boldest move of the first round by trading a second-round pick as well as first- and third-round picks in 2024 to move up from No. 12 to make back-to-back selections.
The No. 12 pick would’ve belonged to the Browns but was sent to the Texans in the Watson trade.
“The trade was about doing what’s best for the organization,” Caserio said. “It’s about what the points tell you on the [trade] chart. If you have conviction about a player and you think the trade is the right thing for you to do, then you go ahead and do it. The trade was driven more by a player we thought would bring a lot of value to our team.”
Stroud was especially emotional when his name was called, likely the result of speculation over the last couple weeks that he might tumble because he reportedly did not score well on the S2 Cognition Test. Questions about Stroud’s leadership also emerged as smokescreens suggested that the Texans only had eyes for Bryce Young — who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Panthers — among the quarterbacks.
“I had a feeling this morning that I’m going to the Texans,” Stroud said. “I don’t care about the outside noise. I’m not going to be perfect.”
Anderson, who was the consensus top non-quarterback before last season began, still wound up with that label despite a less productive season that put fellow defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Tyree Wilson in position to challenge him. Anderson “guessed right” and wore a red and blue suit — Texans colors — to make his wish come to fruition.
”I want to be a part of history and a part of something special,” Anderson said. “I went to the Texans and got in the facility. It was everything I thought I needed. That’s why I’m a Texan.”
While Young should be a Week 1 starter in Carolina, Stroud might be forced to sit on the bench at first. The Texans still have Mills and veteran Case Keenum, and Caserio already shut down talk of a timetable for Stroud taking over.
“His toughness, competitiveness, accuracy are all strengths of his,” Caserio said. “He certainly has a lot of things to work on. He wants to be great.”
The Cardinals traded back up from No. 12 to No. 6 to take offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who would have been their pick at No. 3 over Anderson, according to NFL Network.
“They got both of us!” Anderson exclaimed to reporters in Kansas City about he and Stroud. “We’ve been building this bond for two weeks.”
And now for years to come.