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How the Houston Texans can avoid an unmistakable draft trap
Apr 5, 2023, 1:30 pm
It's time for the Texans to draft their next QB. Composite image by Brandon Strange, photos by Getty Images.
How all signs point to the Houston Texans finally taking the plunge
The Houston Texans are reportedly hosting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud on Wednesday. With the NFL Draft roughly three weeks away, we're seeing a lot of smoke and mirrors around the league.
Earlier in the week, Peter King tossed out the possibility of the Texans taking a defensive player, such as Alabama’s Will Anderson, at No. 2 instead of a quarterback.
While in theory, Houston has the capital to take a defensive player and then either trade back up to get a quarterback in this year’s draft or punt all together for next year’s class of play calling prospects, doing so could be a huge mistake for the Texans.
The most important position in the NFL is at quarterback.
This past season’s final four teams in the postseason featured Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy. While only three of those players are fully established, even San Francisco’s Purdy was playing at a high level leading into championship Sunday.
When Purdy went down with injury, the juggernaut offense of the 49ers became a skeleton of itself despite weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle still on the field.
While Anderson is an impressive prospect, the Texans have first-hand experience that not even a dominant defensive star, like J.J. Watt, is enough to overcome a subpar offense led by an average-to-below-average quarterback as was the case in 2014 and 2015.
USC’s Caleb Williams is next year’s consensus top pick but nothing is guaranteed in football. Williams could have a down season that plummets his stock, just look at Spencer Rattler. While that probably won’t happen, there is also the factor of Houston winning more games.
After three straight seasons of having four or fewer wins, the Texans could finally get out of the NFL’s basement, meaning the team would have to trade up to put itself in position to get the top quarterback in 2024.
Or the Texans can avoid having to pay that hefty price altogether. They are guaranteed to have a shot at taking either Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young. If they want, they can take Anthony Richardson or Will Levis too.
Houston wants to forget about the Deshaun Watson era for many reasons, but think back to the first six weeks of the 2017 season. It was clear that Watson was a special quarterback, as he left Texans fans in awe with spectacular performances week in and week out before he tore his ACL.
The city’s fans are hungry to experience that hope and joy from its pro football once again. Houston needs to take its quarterback at No. 2 and build the rest of the team after that.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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