QB ROUNDUP
Critical takeaways from Houston Texans meetings with 3 exciting quarterback prospects
Mar 6, 2023, 6:25 pm
QB ROUNDUP
With the NFL Draft Combine in the rearview mirror, speculation season is in full swing on whom the Houston Texans will take at No. 2 in the draft. Multiple people believe Houston will go with a quarterback with its first selection.
Three top quarterback prospects in the 2023 draft not only went through measurements at the combine but also had a chance to speak with the Texans. Here are some takeaways about those potential future playcallers from Indianapolis.
CJ Stroud
The Ohio State Buckeye said he is looking forward to strengthening his relationship with the Texans over the next few weeks. Stroud’s focus during the interviews at the combine with Houston were on his leadership and personality, he said.
Stroud measured in at 6 feet, 3 inches weighing 214 pounds at the combine. He also had an arm measurement of 32.625 inches and an arm size of 10 inches.
When it comes to the play-making portion of the combine, Stroud showed off his arm strength in Indianapolis. The quarterback looked on target and delivered beautiful long balls to receivers.
CJ Stroud making it look easy pic.twitter.com/h5O4AyJrAq
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) March 4, 2023
As the Texans seek a potential franchise quarterback, general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans will be looking for a person that can galvanize a group of men, excel at getting others to buy in and fit the culture the team is aiming to create. Learning about a person’s personality is a vital quality to seeing if he is the right fit.
Bryce Young
Young was the lone individual at the combine that had everyone wanting to see his measurements. The Alabama prospect’s height came in at 5-10 1/8 with a weight of 204 pounds. His arm size was 30.5 inches and hand size came in at 9.75 inches.
The reason for the interest in Young’s measurements was because of his height. While he is on the shorter side of the height spectrum for a quarterback, he is considered one of the top prospects in the draft because of the playmaker he was with the Crimson Tide.
Young chose not to participate in any of the skill drills at the NFL Combine. However, he did speak with reporters in Indianapolis. When asked about what his greatest asset is, he responded with leadership.
The young quarterback met with the Texans, and he said he enjoyed his time with Houston and called the staff amazing. In the small window, he picked up wisdom, he added.
Anthony Richardson
Richardson had the most eye-popping combine of all quarterback prospects when it comes to pure athletic talent. The greatest example came from his 40.5 inch vertical jump, which set a combine record for quarterbacks.
Anthony Richardson just set a combine record for quarterbacks with a 40.5” vertical with this… pic.twitter.com/68muNURNwq
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) March 4, 2023
Richardson measured in at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighed 244 pounds at the combine. His arm size was 32.75 inches and his hand size was 10.5 inches. He also participated in the throwing sessions at the combine. Similar to Stroud, he dazzled spectators with his arm strength.
Anthony Richardson letting it FLY. @GatorsFB
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/mRi0vkL7X6
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023
Richardson also met with the Houston Texans in Indianapolis, he revealed. While he did not give a lot of specifics, he did call the meeting informative and a time when both sides got to know a little bit about each other.
If you take each quarterback’s words at face value, the conversations between the Texans and the prospects were kind of like the first screening at an everyday job interview. Caserio and Ryans not only looked to learn about football but about each player as a person.
With several weeks until April 27, it will be interesting to see which quarterback gets the edge to potentially be Houston’s No. 1 pick.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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