The end of the Houston Texans 2022 season can’t come soon enough.

After a thorough spanking at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars on New Year’s Day, one area of need rose above all once again — the quarterback position.

Davis Mills missed his receivers left and right, high and low and struggled with ball security. He managed only 202 passing yards and a measly field goal drive in the fourth quarter to narrowly avoid the shutout.

While the Houston Texans are in the middle of the dark ages, there is a shining beacon on the horizon, or at least the potential for it.

With Sunday’s loss, the Texans clinched the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and could secure the first pick with a loss against the Colts, which means they will have the option to take either Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young in the upcoming draft if general manager Nick Caserio opts to.

This past Saturday both players got one more opportunity to showcase to a national audience why they are considered the top two quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, and both made the most of it.

Young shined in the Crimson Tide’s victory against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. The 6-foot quarterback threw darts all over the field against the Wildcats, finishing with an efficient 321 passing yards, on 15-of-21 attempts, and a whopping five touchdowns.

Young’s most impressive throw came early in the third quarter when he tossed an absolute dime to receiver Ja'Corey Brooks that created a buzz on social media.

Stroud showcased his skills later in the evening in primetime in the College Football Semifinal against top-seed Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

While the 6-foot-3-inch quarterback’s team fell to the Bulldogs, Stroud went 23-of-34 for 348 passing yards and threw four touchdowns against arguably the best defense in college football.

The bottom line

Regardless of the outcome in Houston’s game against the Colts this upcoming Sunday, the Texans cannot go wrong with choosing either quarterback in this year’s draft.

Some fans want Young, who many believe has superstar potential with the flashes of stardom he has shown at Alabama. Others want Stroud, who some argue is the most NFL-ready guy from day one.

Caserio would get a big hit with either for the 2023 season because no matter who it is, they will both create a lot more excitement for Texans fans, which appear to be on hiatus until further notice.

Don’t get it twisted, the Texans, especially if they get the No. 1 overall pick, will have tremendous pressure to make whoever they get with their first draft pick a home run. Caserio will need to decide which quarterback is the best fit.

However, the right move for the team is to take a quarterback now. Running back Dameon Pierce has shown he is a stud, and there are some building blocks on offense with the team’s tight ends and receivers.

If the Texans don’t take a quarterback in this year’s draft, the apathy will continue. For a team doing everything possible to rebrand itself after three years of being a bottom feeder, a new face to the franchise will go a long way.

Don’t trade back. The Texans need to take their quarterback.