TEXANS TIMELINE
Here's what this insanely too early 2023 mock draft could mean for Davis Mills, Texans
Sep 2, 2022, 2:04 pm
The pressure is on Davis Mills to perform this season. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
If a picture is worth a thousand words ... here's a pick that's worth a whole season of bar arguments, second guessing and endless hours of talk show chatter.
The Athletic, published its insanely too early 2023 NFL mock draft. They used a combination of Vegas projected win totals, evaluations of top prospects, analysis of team needs, and plain old guesswork.
First of all, publishing a mock draft before most colleges have played a single down of football is one step below watching the Bachelorette Below Deck on Love Island, who's gonna wind up in bed with the No. 1 pick?
But look at who's drafting No. 2 and who they're taking in the Athletic's crystal ball draft: Houston Texans select C.J. Stroud, quarterback, Ohio State.
Think what that means. For starters, the Athletic is saying that the Texans will have the second-worst record in the NFL for the upcoming season. Even more telling, they have the Texans taking a quarterback, which implies that current Texans quarterback, second-year Davis Mills will have a disappointing sophomore year forcing the Texans to draft another signal caller. Which means back to the drawing board for the franchise.
Which means more disappointment, more chaos and turmoil, more fan apathy, more complaining, more calls for Cal McNair to sell the team, more half-empty stands at NRG Stadium and more pleas for Jack Easterby to pack his bags and get out of Houston. The only thing missing is a big tarp covering the upper deck.
How's that for one imaginary pick? If the Athletic wanted to stir it up in Houston, they sure did.
Eight quarterbacks were taken in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL draft - a record. They were:
1. Trevor Lawrence - Jaguars.
2. Zach Wilson - Jets.
3. Trey Lance - '49ers.
11. Justin Fields - Bears.
15. Mac Jones - Patriots
64. Kyle Trask - Buccaneers.
66. Kellen Mond - Vikings.
67. Davis Mills - Texans.
You can make an argument that Mills out-performed the other seven quarterbacks last year. I'm not talking about potential, just who did the best in 2021. Mills threw 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with an 88.8 passer rating for a dreadful team. As Larry David would say, pretty pretty pretty good.
Yes, Jones had numbers (22 TDs, 13 interceptions) but he’s really, at least so far, a system quarterback who dinks the ball. Lawrence (12 TDs, 17 interceptions) and Wilson (9 TDs, 11 interceptions) played poorly with awful teams and in Lawrence's case, an imbecilic head coach. Fields (7 TDs, 10 interceptions) showed flashes but little consistency. Mond, Lance, and Trask didn’t need to shower after games.
Meanwhile Davis had one of the top efficiency ratings on deep balls, played admirably and did the best with the least. He is the unchallenged QB1 for the Texans heading into this year. And yet the Athletic has the Texans tossing him aside next year.
While the Athletic has the Texans picking a quarterback, they have the Jets taking a pass rusher, Bears (cornerback), Jaguars (wide receiver), Patriots (defensive tackle), Vikings (linebacker), and Buccaneers (pass rusher). Notable that the Vikings are steering clear of a quarterback even though they've already released Mond.
Ironically, reports say the Texans really wanted Mond in the 2021 draft but the Vikings beat them to the punch by one position.
They say that sometimes the best phones calls are the ones you don't make. Same for draft picks.
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After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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