Texans takeover! Houston stirs up NFL draft with trade to net second top-three pick
Three Black quarterbacks were selected in the top four picks, while teams made four trades inside the top 10 at the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night.
The Carolina Panthers cashed in the first pick for Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
And then the Houston Texans took over.
The Texans picked Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2 and then made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to get No. 3, which they used on Alabama linebacker Will Anderson.
The Indianapolis Colts made their QB splash with Florida's Anthony Richardson at No. 4.
Here's a look at how the top 10 picks played out and what kind of players their respective teams are getting.
- All the picks: Team-by-team selections
- Top 50 draft prospects: QBs rate high, but not at No. 1
- Veterans who could be on the move during NFL draft
- 7 college football stars who could face long wait in draft
- All the information you need in one spot: our NFL draft hub
Analysis for Top 10 picks
1. Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
An expert at making quick decisions and navigating chaos in the pocket, Young already thrives in one area where many other short signal-callers typically stumble: throwing over the middle. He'll have to prove his arm strength is sufficient to keep NFL defenses honest, but Young otherwise meets or exceeds many of the standards to be a very good starting quarterback.
2. Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
A rhythmic downfield distributor, Stroud confidently and consistently puts his passes on point with just the right touch. In the NFL, the 6-3, 214-pound signal-caller will need to demonstrate an enhanced level of comfort when operating in the face of pressure. If Stroud can carry over his performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia, in which he showed off surprising mobility and ease throwing on the run, he will be difficult for defenses to slow.
3. Texans: Will Anderson Jr., DE/OLB, Alabama
In Anderson's three years at the collegiate level, no one matched his dominance on a down-to-down basis. From his electric first step to his elastic maneuvering and diverse set of moves, Anderson has an array of different ways to beat offensive tackles. His sack output will hinge on playing with more control and sharpening his finishing touch, but Anderson figures to be a massively disruptive force right away.
4. Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Richardson's inexperience makes him a massive wild card. Cleaning up Richardson's footwork slip-ups should solve a good deal of his accuracy issues, and his underrated pocket management suggests he could thrive once placed in a more reasonable offense with better support. Squaring Richardson's singular physical tools with his underwhelming college production could confound any coaching staff.
5. Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Witherspoon plays as if a linebacker's brain were dropped into a 5-11, 181-pound cornerback's head. He relishes the challenge of man coverage, ceding nothing easy to any receiver whom he lines up against. His best trait, however, is his knack for closing in on the ball, as he routinely launches himself like a missile to deny throws (17 passes defensed as a senior) as well as thwart ball carriers in the run game.
6. Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
At 6-6 and 313 pounds with fleet feet, Johnson brings together all the elements of a cornerstone left tackle. He can get out of sorts too easily due to problems with his footwork and balance, issues that savvier NFL edge rushers will readily expose. But all the tools are there for him to hold his own against the league's best.
7. Raiders: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
No need to sell NFL teams on a 6-6, 270-pound edge rusher with the massive wingspan to rip past offensive linemen and the brute force to push them back. Wilson has been overly reliant on those gifts, however, and too often looks to impose his will rather than read the play. Improving his hand usage will be vital for a player who counts on his straight-line explosiveness to make up for his rigidity, but Wilson will be a load for any blocker to handle.
8. Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Robinson sizes up as the best running back prospect since Saquon Barkley was selected No. 2 overall in 2018. A dynamic all-purpose threat, the 5-11, 215-pound ball carrier can change the complexion of an offense with his signature penchant for forcing missed tackles and legitimate receiving chops. Finding fault with his play feels like nitpicking, with the biggest strike against him being the concern of how early a team can reasonably draft even the most impressive running back prospect given the abundance of alternatives available later in the draft.
9. Eagles: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
On a defense that controlled college football for the last two seasons, Carter stood above the rest of his teammates, a group of former five-star recruits and future NFL standouts. The 6-3, 314-pounder is a distinct game-wrecker, barreling into the backfield with ease and proving to be too much for single blocks on the interior. Carter has seen his pre-draft process defined by his arrest in connection with the car crash that killed Georgia teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter later pleaded no contest to charges of racing and reckless driving, avoiding jail time in the deal.
10. Bears: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Things finally clicked for the former five-star recruit in 2022, when he didn't allow a sack on 507 pass-blocking snaps and earned acclaim for stonewalling Will Anderson Jr. in the Volunteers' wild win over the Crimson Tide. The 6-5, 333-pounder forklifts defenders in the run game, though the true indicator of his value as a right tackle will be whether he can continue to improve his footwork against edge rushers.