The Texans struggled again in 2022 and are in need of a complete overhaul as they enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

New Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and General Manager Nick Caserio have their hands full as they attempt to reshape the franchise in the post-DeShaun Watson era. Quarterback is clearly the top priority, and they certainly have their eyes on Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis with the second pick in the draft.

In addition, the Texans need some youth and depth at tight end, cornerback, defensive line, defensive end, offensive lineman, and defensive lineman … just name a few.

This Houston Texans 2023 NFL Mock Draft will attempt to answer those questions and fill those needs as we use Houston’s draft capital (a whopping 12 picks) to build the best class we can. 

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Texans Draft Selections

Round 1, Pick 2

Round 1, Pick 12 (from CLE)

Round 2, Pick 33

Round 3, Pick 65

Round 3, Pick 73 (from CLE)

Round 4, Pick 104

Round 5, Pick 161 (from DAL)

Round 6, Pick 188 (from NYG)

Round 6, Pick 201 (from MIN)

Round 6, Pick 203 (from NO)

Round 7, Pick 230 (from TB)

Round 7, Pick 259

Houston Texans 7-Round Mock Draft 

Round 1 (No. 2 overall with Bryce Young off the board)

Pick: CJ Stroud, QB Ohio State

Houston is going to take a quarterback with the second pick in this draft or people will be stunned. In this Texans mock draft, Bryce Young gets taken at No. 1 overall, so the Texans select the talented Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud with their first-round pick.

Houston simply has to come out of this year’s draft with a franchise quarterback, and Stroud should fit the bill. Stroud is accurate, smooth, and talented. He should help ease the loss of DeShaun Watson. 

Round 1 (No. 12 overall from Cleveland)

Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State

The Texans franchise has a clear need at wide receiver after trading Brandin Cooks to Dallas this offseason during the free agency period, and Smith-Njigba would be a solid pick at No. 12 overall.

This offseason, many people have focused on his 2022 campaign that was cut short by injury, but they should look at his dominant 2021 season that featured a 95/1,606/9 line and a Rose Bowl performance for the ages (155/347/3). In his three seasons at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba was dominant when healthy and is widely regarded as a better prospect than Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave. Check, please!

Round 2 (No. 33 overall)

Pick: Brian Branch, S ALA

The Texans have twelve selections, so they have the ability to take the best player available in this seven-round mock draft. With that in mind, Branch fell to Houston in this exercise, and he’d make for a great pick in round two. as he would give the Texans arguably the best Safety in the draft class.

If Houston was to take Stroud, Smith-Njigba, and Branch at 1-2-3, that would make for a very successful start to the draft for the Texans!

Round 3 (No. 65 overall)

Pick: Derick Hall, EDGE Auburn

In the third round, the Texans would be thrilled to see this pass rusher fall to them. Houston needs someone to sack the quarterback and the Texans’ depth chart at Edge Rusher isn’t the best in the league. Hall has a solid pedigree playing in the SEC and could prove to be a disruptive force in time. He’s not JJ Watt, but few are.

Round 3 (No. 73 overall from Cleveland)

Pick: Devon Achane, RB Texas A&M

Houston stuck gold with Dameon Pierce last year, but the Texans could use another running back to round out the depth chart. Rather than going with a linebacker or addressing the secondary again in this Houston Texans mock draft, we go with a running back who has a lot of talent and could help the Texans build around their new franchise QB. Depth has become more and more important at running back. and Achane would be a solid playmaker for their backfield.

Round 4 (No. 104 overall)

Pick: Jaelyn Duncan, OT Maryland

Houston would be wise to use one of their premier picks to address their offensive line. In this exercise, the Texans go with Duncan, who had a solid NFL Combine and looks like a prospect on the rise. After the Texans get their quarterback in the draft, they’ll need to look at protecting him and helping Houston avoid so many tackles for loss as well. Duncan isn’t as hyped as many of the other OTs in this draft, but he looks very, very solid.

Round 5 (No. 161 overall from Dallas)

Pick: Xavier Hutchinson, WR Iowa State

The Texans might look at other positions of need before adding another receiver, but Hutchinson would make for a solid pick this late. After selecting of Derek Stingley Jr last season, they can wait on addressing the back-end of their defense (as long as he’s healthy), and Hutchinson could drop this far after his performance at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

Round 6 (No. 188 overall from New York Giants)

Pick: Nick Broeker, IOL Ole Miss

Houston would be wise to stack interior offensive linemen in this draft and continue building from the inside out in an effort to avoid what happened with David Carr so many years ago. Broeker is more NFL-ready than most and could provide some nice depth for the O-line.

Round 6 (No. 201 overall from Minnesota)

Pick: Jake Moody, K MICH

Wait. What!?! When you have a massive 12 picks in one draft and keep all of them as they did in this mock draft, you can make a luxury pick like this. Moody is far and away the best kicker in the class and Houston could have this position sewn up for a decade if he fulfills his potential.

Round 6 (No. 203 overall from New Orleans)

Pick: Keondre Coburn, DL Texas

Coburn is short for a nose tackle, but he has really good feet and enough quickness to be a run-stuffer up the middle. He also has true bull rush power, and while he isn’t the most amazing athlete in this class, nose tackles who are big and have solid instincts are always going to be in demand.

Round 7 (No. 230 overall from Tampa Bay)

Pick: Starling Thomas V, CB UAB

Known as the “draft freak,” Starling Thomas would be a solid dart throw if he was to fall into round seven. He was an All-Conference USA selection but still very raw as a prospect. Still, we know he can run as he is an Olympic-level runner once clocked at just under 25 miles an hour and won the Alabama State High School Championship with a 10.4 100-yard dash. He’s a project but one clearly worth the pick here as he could certainly help on special teams as a punt returner.

Round 7 (No. 259 overall)

Pick: Myles Brooks, CB Louisiana Tech

This is a full 7-round mock draft, so we go all the way to the end as the Texans take Myles Brooks with their final draft pick. Brooks is a wild card in the 2023 draft after he scored poorly in just about every category at the NFL Draft Combine. Still, he has an NFL-ready frame and could simply need good coaching to refine his technique. He could be a diamond in the rough and worth a shot this late.

Houston Texans NFL Draft, Texans 7-round Mock Draft, and positional (QB, WR) FAQs

When is the NFL Draft?

April 27th-April 29th

Do the Texans need a Quarterback or Wide Receiver the most?

The Texans have a clear need for both positions but most believe quarterback is the essential need for the team. Most expect them to address that position first and potentially add receivers later. When you look at just about any mock draft, 2023 looks to be the year they take the plunge on a signal caller.

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