The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and like many NFL teams, the Houston Texans are conducting their due diligence in evaluating their team’s needs and prospective players to help fill those needs.

The Houston Texans’ first-round selections in this year’s draft are currently the second overall pick and the twelfth overall pick. Even though most first-round selections have the possibility to be franchise-altering, what the Texans decide to do with the second-overall pick has the potential to have the biggest impact on the franchise for years to come.

Since joining the league in 2002, the Houston Texans have had the first overall pick three times according to Pro Football Reference. They had the first overall pick in 2002, 2006 and 2014 in which they selected quarterback David Carr, defensive end Mario Williams, and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, respectively. The Texans had the third overall pick in 2003 with which they selected wide receiver Andre Johnson and in 2022 with which they selected cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

The Houston Texans have never had the second overall pick.

The Houston Texans have made 20 first-round selections with eight of those selections on offense and 12 of those selections on defense. Over the last 20 years, the Texans have spent most of their first-round picks on defensive end, with four selections filling that position. The Texans seem to favor the defensive picks when looking back at previous drafts but they’d be wise to select an offensive position with their second overall pick.

According to ESPN, during the 2022 NFL season, the Texans’ defense gave up an average of 379.5 yards per game and 24.7 points per game ranking them as third worst and sixth worst, respectively. The Texans’ offense, however, only gained an average of 283.5 yards per game and scored an average of 17 points per game, ranking their offense as second worst in the NFL. To put it into perspective, the Texans gained 4,820 yards of total offense, which includes passing and rushing, during the 2022 season while Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the eventual Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, accounted for 5,062 yards with just his arm. While the Texans are hurting on both sides of the ball, they are in slightly greater need of an improved offense.

Many NFL experts have weighed in on whom they believe the Texans should select with the second overall pick. Those experts divulge what they’d do with the pick and their reasoning below:

Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network believes the Texans should select Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud in his latest mock draft stating, “the Texans have some quality pieces in place on offense and Stroud should be able to hit the ground running as the Week 1 starter.”

Another NFL media analyst who believes Stroud will be selected by the Texans is Kyle Stackpole from CBS Sports. Stackpole imagines new Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans beginning his tenure with “a gifted passer in Stroud.”

Sam Monson from Pro Football Focus predicts the Texans will draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the second overall pick. Monson points out that Young was exceptionally risk-averse in college and throws with better anticipation than any quarterback he can remember coming into the NFL.

Cynthia Frelund from the NFL Network also believes the Texans will select Young in her latest mock draft stating, “Young’s Alabama film rates him the best college QB in this class, per computer vision.”

Ian Valentino from Pro Football Network also has the Texans selecting a quarterback with their first pick. Valentino has the Texans selecting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the second overall pick. He expects Ryans to swing for the fences with the second pick and points out, “the AFC is loaded with elite athletes playing quarterback, so he’ll need one to compete.”

Who do you believe the Houston Texans should select with the second overall pick?

The 2023 NFL Draft is currently scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 27 to Saturday, Apr. 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.