2023 NFL Draft: Texans get it right with CJ Stroud at No. 2, other top 10 takeaways

The Houston Texans are pulling no punches and are off to a great start to the 2023 NFL Draft. Right after taking Alabama quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall selection, they traded up to No. 3 and chose defensive end Wil Anderson Jr.

Even though there was rampant speculation about the Arizona Cardinals moving the third overall pick, not many analysts expected Houston to engineer a trade for the selection. This reflects well on a Texans front office that has been doing what they can to acquire as much talent as possible.

Back in free agency, the Texans signed linebacker Denzel Perryman, tight end Dalton Schultz, wide receiver Robert Woods and running back David Singletary. Stroud now gives them a quarterback to build around. While Houston still has plenty of work left to do, they've taken several steps in the right direction since the end of the 2023 season.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars have a realistic chance of sweeping their division foe in 2022, it won't be as easy as it seemed a few months ago.

The Indianapolis Colts also got a franchise quarterback in Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts don't want to be left behind and they've also found their quarterback of the future in Anthony Richardson. Although the Florida Gator will benefit from redshirting in his rookie season, he might be pressed into action.

Of all the quarterbacks in the 2022 class, Richardson might be the one with the highest ceiling, so it would be a good idea for Indy to refrain from playing him early, as tempting as it may be. The Colts signed Gardner Minshew (remember him?) in free agency and the best course of action may be to name him the starter and stick with him while Richardson hones in his skills.

Things are starting to get interesting in the 2023 NFL Draft

Things are starting to get wild in Round 1. You could make the case that the first domino fell when the Texans traded to No. 3. With Will Anderson Jr. off the board, other teams in the top 10 might have needed to readjust their boards, as the Cards jumped back at No. 6 after getting the 12th overall selection from the Texans. Arizona then used the No. 6 pick on offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

After the Colts drafted Richardson, the Seattle Seahawks scooped cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick. Had Houston not taken Anderson at No. 3, the Hawks might have taken him with the fifth overall selection.