With the coming of draft season, we enter a realm of instant grading. However, there is the school of thought that it takes 3 years to really figure out if a draft pick will pan out in the NFL. This, in theory, accounts for the slow-developers and/or the rookie flash-in-the-pans that can’t further evolve into the game. The instant grades of three years ago likely will change over the course of three seasons.
With that, a review of the Texans’ picks from 2023:
Round 1, Pick 2: QB CJ Stroud (Ohio State):
46 Games Played/46 Games Started, 63.8% Completion Rate, 10876 yards, 63 TDs/25 INTs; 1 x Pro Bowl.
Coming into the draft, there was a lot of chatter about what Houston might do with the #2 pick. The consensus was that Alabama QB Bryce Young would go #1 to the Carolina Panthers. Most pre-draft rating schemes had Ohio State alum CJ Stroud as the second-best QB, even as names like Will Levis and Anthony Richardson moved up the draft boards. Houston hadn’t had a franchise-type QB since DeShaun Watson, so there was a demand. When the time came, Houston didn’t overthink it and selected Stroud, ignoring some of the leaked pre-draft intel about Stroud’s decision-making capabilities.
Trying to evaluate the overall body of work for Stroud is a lot harder than necessary. Stroud had a rookie season for the ages, leading the team to its first division title in 4 years and a home playoff win. The question became not if he would win MVP and the Super Bowl, but how many? The two seasons since then never saw Stroud get back to the rookie year heights. He led the team to three playoff berths and three playoff wins in his first three seasons. However, the team hasn’t advanced past the Divisional Playoff Round. Stroud can show moments of brilliance with his arm and surprising mobility. However, he can also make head-scratching decisions at the QB spot. Oline issues and inconsistency with offensive coordinator play-calling haven’t help. Also, he’s missed five games due to two concussions over his three years. Still after his seven-turnover playoff performance, this upcoming season is critical to Stroud’s and Houston’s.
Grade: B
Round 1, Pick 3: DE Will Anderson, Jr. (Alabama): 46 Games Played/44 Games Started, 30.0 Sacks, 91 Tackles, 46 TFLs, 4 FFs, 2 x Pro Bowls, 1 x All-Pro (1st Team)
The first record-scratch/headline grabber of the Draft, Anderson entered the 2023 offseason as arguably the best overall prospect in the draft, even if he wouldn’t go #1. The thought was that Houston needed the QB more than the DE. Enter Nick Caserio. With Houston’s draft capital, Caserio made the calculated gamble to get not only the franchise offensive cornerstone, but the defensive one it needed as well. Thus, no sooner had Houston drafted Stroud then Caserio shipped off a package of draft picks, to include Houston’s 2024 1st round pick, to the Cardinals to move up to the #3 spot. Most applauded the effort, even if there were some concerns about an overpay.
Three years on, the overpay concerns are very hard to find. He culminated a strong rookie season with a Defensive Rookie of the Year nod. The past two seasons he logged double-digit sacks, to go along with league-leading metrics on win rates and disruptions. This past season was the first that Anderson did not miss any playing time due to injury. He made his first appearance on the 1st Team All-Pro, and if this effort continues, it will not be his last. Now the franchise leader in playoff sacks, Anderson is in line for a massive payday
Grade A+
Round 2, Pick 66: C/OG Juice Scruggs (Penn State): 37 Games Played/17 Started
Day 2 saw Caserio continue his wheeling and dealing. This eventually netted Houston the chance to draft a player who could man multiple positions on the offensive interior. Juice Scruggs played both guard and center for Penn State, so he seemed to fit the bill. In theory, Scruggs could pair with the previous year’s OL pick Kenyon Green to man the offensive interior for seasons to come.
Speaking of Kenyon Green, if not for him, Scruggs would be the biggest (literal and figurative) bust in the Caserio regime. Scruggs ended up part of a rotations of players that tried to man the center and left guard spot. However, a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness left him little more than a depth piece. He started 13 games in 2024, but clearly did not make a strong impression, given that he only started 1 game in 2025. Coming into this offseason, he was shipped to Detroit in a trade to help the Texans acquire RB David Montgomery. For Scruggs, it is possible he could wind up as a center for the Lions, but nothing is a given for him.
Grade: F
Round 3, Pick 69: WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (Houston): 25 Games Played/18 Games Started, 98 Receptions, 1376 yards, 10 TDs
A hometown product, Dell was a name that many thought could be a surprise in the draft. He developed instant rapport with CJ Stroud, becoming a weapon on an emerging offensive attack. Unfortunately, Dell’s talent is matched only by his nightmarish injury fortune. His rookie season ended with an injury against Denver blocking as part of a goal-line play (seriously). The following offseason, he was shot in the leg at a Florida nightclub, but those injuries did not prove too serious. It did seem to take Dell a while to get going his sophomore year, but just as he seemed to be playing his best against Kansas City, he suffered a gruesome knee injury and hasn’t played since. Dell possesses the talent and heart. However, can he recover from this most recent injury?
Grade: C
Round 4, Pick 109: DE/LB Dylan Horton (TCU): 39 Games Played/0 Games Started, 55 Tackles, 0.5 Sacks, 8 TFLs, 1 FF/1FR
After a successful college career as a DE and LB for TCU, to include TCU’s title game run, Horton faced daunting odds at the NFL level. Horton was a “tweener” of a prospect. With Houston running a 4-3 base, Horton was going to have to evolve into a DE to make it at the NFL level. He did manage to make the team and played in the squad’s first 10 games to start the 2023. However, his rookie season ended prematurely when he had to step away from the game to deal with Stage IV Hodgkins’ Lymphoma. Fortunately, Horton defeated said cancer in time to start the 2024 season. He remained a depth piece, having his best statistical season in 2025. He is slated to remain part of the DE rotation coming into the 2026 season.
Grade: D+/C-
Round 5, Pick 167: LB Henry To’oto’o (Alabama): 46 Games Played/35 Games Started, 4.0 Sacks, 261 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 INT
To’oto’o brought plenty of college experience, playing LB in the SEC for Tennessee and Alabama, Probably didn’t hurt that he was playing under the eye of another ‘Bama alum in DeMeco Ryans. To’oto’o is a bit undersized as a LB and isn’t always the best in coverage. However, he evolved into a starting-caliber LB for a strong Houston Texans defense. While Houston is more prone to play a 5-DB, 2-LB defensive setup, To’oto’o is one of the consistent LB starters, along with Al-Shaair. Maybe he will never be All-Pro, but he is a consistent performer for this defense.
Grade: B
Round 6, Pick 201: C Jarrett Patterson (Notre Dame): 39 Games Played/21 Started
Another pick meant to add depth to the Texans’ offensive line, Patterson has arguably surpassed his higher drafted classmate Scruggs. However, that isn’t exactly the greatest amount of praise either. The Texans’ offensive interior has been in flux at best, and undertalented and underperforming at worst. Patterson did log some starts at Center and Guard. 2024 was his best season to date, as he started 9 games, along with 2 playoff games. However, like Scruggs, he too dealt with the double-blows of injuries and ineffectiveness. He remains part of the offensive line rotation, but will that be the case as the NFL year progresses? .
Grade: D+
Round 6, Pick 203: WR Xavier Hutchinson (Iowa State): 49 Games Played/9 Games Started, 55 Receptions, 635 Yards, 3 TDs
Who knew that Hutchinson would be the vanguard of the Iowa State WR invasion? He was in a similar situation as Patterson, brought in as depth for a position where another player was drafted several rounds ahead. Granted, Hutchinson’s body of work will not make many forget about Tank Dell. Still, Hutchinson has been a constant in the WR depth rotation. His position was likely helped by the struggles of players like Jon Mitchie, and while Hutchinson’s training camps were probably more stressful than most, he has managed to bolster the WR depth. 2025 was by far his most productive season, although like many on the Texans, the finale against New England was a game to forget. He could make a living as a 4th/5th WR, which is what he’s been as a Texan.
Grade: B-
Round 7, Pick 248: S Brandon Hill (Pittsburgh): 2 Games Played/0 Games Started, No measurable stats
The last pick of the 2023 class, Hill has lived mostly on the team’s practice squad roster. Unfortunately, injuries have done much to derail his career, as he missed all of 2024 due to a knee injury he suffered in the Texans’ final preseason game. He did not pass a team physical at the start of the 2025 season, but was signed to the practice squad in December 2025, only to be released and join the Raiders’ practice squad to finish out the final couple of games. In January 2026, Hill returned to the Texans on a futures contract. To date, Hill has seen no actual NFL game time.
Grade: D-
Overall:
This draft will forever be defined by the Day 1 trade that yielded Stroud and Anderson. The rest of the class has its ups and downs. Dell, when healthy, can be a game-changing force, but can he bounce back from that devastating knee injury, and can he avoid further injury? To’oTo’o and Hutchinson evolved into steady contributors to the Texans’ roster, while Patterson and Horton at least offer some reasonably priced depth. Scruggs was an unfortunate miss for Houston, one that has major ramifications for the roster. It does say something that all save Scruggs remain on the Texans roster after 3 seasons, not something you see with every draft class. Additionally, except for Hill, all of this class had significant contributions to the roster over the past three seasons. The opinion of this class could improve greatly if Stroud recaptures his previous height and players like To’oTo’o and Dell return for a second contract.
Overall Grade: B
