Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud proved to be the best quarterback from the 2023 draft and very well could win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
He didn’t go No. 1 overall, though, as the Carolina Panther selected Bryce Young with the top pick instead. That left Stroud for the Texans at No. 2 before Houston then traded back up to No. 3 to take defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
ESPN ran a fun exercise where every team effectively had an alternate dimension machine and could see how every rookie would fare in 2023. So in this case, the Panthers took Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick.
If that were to happen, what would the Texans do? Here’s how ESPN predicted the first two rounds of the 2023 draft would have gone if the Panthers drafted Stroud instead of Young.
Texans take Florida QB Anthony Richardson with the No. 2 pick
Conventional wisdom in April of 2023 would be to take Young with the No. 2 pick, as many pundits waffled between him and Stroud as the best quarterback in the class. But ESPN went a different direction with Anthony Richardson.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Richardson put up solid numbers when he was healthy with the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 577 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception with a 59.5% completion rate and rushed for 136 yards and four touchdowns in only four games. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury early in the season, but looked the part of a franchise quarterback even without running back Jonathan Taylor.
Texans don't trade up, take WR Jordan Addison at No. 12 instead
The Texans don’t move up to No. 3 and take Will Anderson in this exercise, either, as the Arizona Cardinals know he could turn into the Defensive Rookie of the Year and take him. Instead, Houston stands firm at the No. 12 pick it acquired in the Deshaun Watson trade with the Cleveland Browns and takes USC wide receiver Jordan Addison.
This decision would give Richardson another quality pass-catcher alongside Nico Collins after Addison finished his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings with 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Addison would be a luxury pick in this case, as Houston would have to address pass rusher later in the draft.
Texans add pass rusher Will McDonald IV in second round
The Texans do just that with their next pick at No. 33 and take Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV, who actually went No. 15 to the New York Jets this past April.
McDonald didn’t have a great rookie season in New York … because he barely played. The rookie saw just 184 defensive snaps in 2023 among a crowded Jets defensive line unit. He flashed potential but finished with just three sacks, four tackles for a loss and five quarterback hits. McDonald’s skillset could translate to what Anderson was able to do on Ryans’ defense in Houston.
Texans miss out on WR Tank Dell
Wide receiver Tank Dell had a great rookie year before he suffered a season-ending injury. So in this scenario, Dell goes to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 37 – 32 spots higher than he did this past year.
