As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Houston Texans.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Texans pick in the NFL Draft?
The Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud (QB, Ohio State) with the 2nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Texans traded up to the No. 3 overall pick to select Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE, Alabama).
Houston added Juice Scruggs (C, Penn State) with the No. 62 pick.
The Texans selected Nathaniel Dell (WR, Houston) with the No. 69 pick.
Texans Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Quarterback
- Wide Receiver
- EDGE
What Picks do the Houston Texans have in 2023?
The Houston Texans have 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (2)
- Round 1 (12)
- Round 2 (33)
- Round 3 (65)
- Round 3 (73)
- Round 4 (104)
- Round 5 (161)
- Round 6 (188)
- Round 6 (201)
- Round 6 (203)
- Round 7 (230)
- Round 7 (259)
Houston Texans Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Texans Sharp Draft Value Rank: 1 of 32 teams
- Texans AV Model Draft Value Rank: 1 of 32 teams
- Texans OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 1 of 32 teams
Houston Texans Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Texans' draft value is 87% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. The Texans have the most draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Houston Texans Draft Prediction:
The Texans are predicted to draft Tyree Wilson (EDGE, Texas Tech) with the No. 2 overall pick and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio State) with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Texans predicted to draft Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE, Alabama) with the second pick and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio State) with the 12th pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Houston Texans Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Houston Texans have the sixth easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Houston Texans Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Adam Wilde breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Houston Texans, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Houston Texans Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Texans:
- Davis Mills
- Case Keenum
- E.J. Perry
The Texans defeated the Colts in a meaningless Week 18 game to lose the opportunity for the first overall selection.
They have as desperate a need for a quarterback as any team has ever had.
Last season, Davis Mills's 78.8 passer rating was only better than Kenny Pickett and the Jets' three starting quarterbacks per NFL.com.
By the end of the season, Mills had lost a couple of starts to Kyle Allen and was sharing time with Jeff Driskel.
If the Carolina Panthers draft C.J. Stroud, all should be right in the world for the Texans.
If the Panthers draft Bryce Young, it remains to be seen if Houston is desperate enough to risk working with Deshaun Watson’s agent again, who is now representing Stroud.
The Texans could also elect to draft Anthony Richardson or trade back.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2023 draft, it is highly unlikely the Texans’ long-term starting quarterback is currently on their roster.
Running Back Depth Chart, Texans:
- Dameon Pierce
- Devin Singletary
- Mike Boone
- Dare Ogunbawale
- Gerrid Doaks
- Andrew Beck (FB)
- Troy Hairston (FB)
The Texans were pleasantly surprised by the production they received from fourth-round rookie Dameon Pierce.
Pierce began the year splitting time with Rex Burkhead but quickly overtook the starting role.
He rushed for 939 yards in just 13 games and added 30 receptions. He suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss the final four games.
The Texans upgraded by adding ex-Bills RB Devin Singletary.
Singletary led Buffalo’s backfield last season and finished the year statistically similar to Pierce, albeit with three additional games.
Houston brought in long-time role player Mike Boone on a two-year deal to be their rotational back.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Texans:
- Nico Collins
- Robert Woods
- Noah Brown
- John Metchie
- Steven Sims
- Amari Rodgers
- Jalen Camp
- Johnny Johnson III
- Alex Bachman
- Drew Estrada
With Brandin Cooks gone, Nico Collins headlines the Texans' seemingly lackluster wide receiver corps.
He took a small step forward in 2022 when he caught 37 passes for 481 yards.
While that production is not going to cut it as Houston’s top receiver, he has shown more talent than shown in the box score.
The Texans recognized their need for production, especially with an incoming franchise quarterback, and added veterans Robert Woods and Noah Brown.
Woods has struggled to regain his footing after suffering a serious knee injury. He averaged just 3.1 receptions for 31 yards in 15 games with the Titans last year.
Brown stuck around as a role player with the Cowboys for years, but he was quietly one of their most important pieces last season.
He enters the Texans’ wide receiver room as the most productive 2022 receiver, but his signing is going mostly overlooked.
The most exciting addition to the team would be John Metchie should his return come to fruition.
Metchie has had a brutal couple of years, starting with an ACL injury in his final collegiate game and followed by a battle with acute promyelocytic leukemia shortly after being drafted last year.
If Metchie can return for the 2023 season, he will not only be the Texans' most talented receiver but a fantastic story for the entire league.
Tight End Depth Chart, Texans:
- Dalton Schultz
- Brevin Jordan
- Teagan Quitoriano
- Mason Schreck
Just as the Texans did with most of their position groups last year, they patched together tight end as best they could.
Five different tight ends earned starts in Houston last season.
O.J. Howard, Pharaoh Brown, and Jordan Akins all moved on from the team via free agency.
Teagan Quitoriano and Brevin Jordan are the only two holdovers from last year.
Quitoriano is mostly utilized in the run game.
Jordan has generated buzz numerous times over his short career due to his size and athletic profile but has failed to put it all together.
Last season he was expected to headline the bunch but finished with only 14 receptions through 11 games.
The biggest free agent signing of the Texans' offseason has been Dalton Schultz, who is the second member of the Cowboys’ offense to be brought over.
He finished in the top 10 amongst all tight ends in receiving yards in 2022 despite missing two games.
Given the issues at receiver, he could be the focal point of this passing game.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Texans:
LT: Laremy Tunsil/Austin Deculus
LG: Kenyon Green/Jimmy Morrissey
C: Scott Quessenberry/Michael Deiter
RG: Shaq Mason
RT: Tytus Howard/Charlie Heck
This offseason, the Texans made Laremy Tunsil the highest-paid tackle in the league for the second time in his career.
He allowed only one sack in 2022, which is doubly impressive considering the quarterback play behind him.
Scott Quessenberry was re-signed to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million.
Both he and Kenyon Green were underwhelming in 2022.
Green is under contract through 2025 but could be replaced in the upcoming draft.
Shaq Mason reunited with Tom Brady for one season in Tampa Bay before being traded to the Texans this offseason.
He has been one of the more reliable interior linemen over the last decade. He will turn 30 before the season, but he is a welcome addition to a struggling Texans offensive line.
Tytus Howard is set to play 2023 on his fifth-year option after four mostly underwhelming seasons. He fared better playing mostly at tackle last season and should open up this year as the starter on the right side.
Houston Texans Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Adam Wilde breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Houston Texans, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Houston Texans Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Texans:
- Sheldon Rankins
- Maliek Collins
- Roy Lopez
- Hassan Ridgeway
- Thomas Booker
- Kurt Hinish
- Taylor Stallworth
Sheldon Rankins signed a two-year, $9.6 million deal this offseason.
He may be in the twilight of his career, but he is still a productive player. In 2022 he played over 50% of the snaps alongside Quinnen Williams as a member of the Jets’ dominant defensive line.
He immediately becomes the Texans' most valued interior defensive lineman.
Maliek Collins was the team's feature interior defensive lineman last season and is under contract through at least 2024.
Roy Lopez and Thomas Booker both played significant snaps in the defensive line rotation last season. They will be battling for the first rotation spot following the addition of Rankins.
Lopez and Booker are both young rotational pieces, but the featured interior linemen are all over 27.
Expect them to address the position in the draft, especially with the importance it plays in DeMeco Ryan’s defensive scheme.
EDGE Depth Chart, Texans:
- Jerry Hughes
- Jonathan Greenard
- Demone Harris
- Chase Winovich
- Adedayo Odeleye
- Derek Rivers
The Texans are going to look much different at EDGE under new head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Jerry Hughes and Jonathan Greenard are the only holdovers from last season.
Hughes is entering his age-34 season. His nine sacks in 2022 tied for 25th in the league.
He is still productive, but the Texans are doing themselves no favor if they feature Hughes for another season. It would be in the best interest of both parties to use Hughes in more of a rotational role on key downs.
Greenard was a third-round selection in 2020. He likely would have led the team in edge snaps had he not missed nine games.
Chase Winovich was seemingly hitting his stride with the Patriots before he was traded to the Browns. He registered just one sack in 2022.
The Texans signed him to a one-year deal.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Texans:
- Denzel Perryman
- Cory Littleton
- Christian Harris
- Christian Kirksey
- Blake Cashman
- Jake Hansen
- Garret Wallow
Christian Kirksey and Christian Harris played the most snaps at linebacker in 2022.
Neither Jake Hansen nor Blake Cashman played more than 50% of the snaps in a single game.
Kamu Grugier-Hill left via free agency, but he was more of a special teams player.
The Texans brought in two potential starters to replace the group from last year.
Linebacker plays a huge part in Demaco Ryan’s defense, which is one of the things that makes Fred Warner one of the league's most valuable players.
Denzel Perryman is 31 years old and was brought in on a one-year, $1.2 million deal.
Cory Littleton is 30 years old and was brought in on a one-year, $1.3 million deal.
The Texans appear to be filling linebacker with affordable veterans while Ryans takes his time handpicking the focal points of his defense.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Texans:
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Steven Nelson
- Desmond King
- D’Angelo Ross
- Cobi Francis
- Tavierre Thomas
- Kendall Sheffield
- Ka’dar Hollman
Derek Stingley Jr. was the third overall selection of the 2022 Draft.
He was immediately featured in the Texans' secondary and did not fair well. He allowed the eighth most receiving yards per coverage snap among qualifying corners according to PFF.
His selection hurts that much more when considering the very next pick was Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner.
Stingley Jr. is still a talented young cornerback, and he was viewed as the more raw prospect between him and Gardner, to begin with.
The Texans have a strong starting cornerback group but are struggling for depth.
Steven Nelson played the most snaps in the secondary, and he managed to allow the ninth fewest yards per coverage snap in the league.
Desmond King also played well but is a free agent after this season.
Houston could go cornerback at 12, but wide receiver is a far more pressing need.
They are likely to kick the can down the road and hope their affordable cornerbacks overachieve once again.
Safety Depth Chart, Texans:
- Jimmie Ward
- Jalen Pitre
- M.J. Stewart
- Eric Murray
- Grayland Arnold
The Texans let Jonathan Owens walk in free agency after he started all 17 games in 2022.
They have since replaced him with Jimmie Ward, who followed Ryans from San Francisco.
He only started 5 games last season, but he will be an important part of Houston’s transition to Ryan’s defensive system.
Jalen Pitre was an early second-round selection in 2022. He will continue to start in his second year.
M.J. Stewart and Eric Murray both remain with the team.
Neither player saw more than 50% of the snaps in a single game last year. If Ward holds up, they won’t have to again this season.
