Few teams have as many options in the 2023 NFL Draft or as many needs to fill as the Texans.Houston lost out on the top overall pick of the draft in a, . The Texans dropped to No. 2 overall in the draft behind the Bears, who promptly traded back with Carolina for a trove of draft capital. That largely meaningle s victory cost Alec Martinez Men Jersey general manager Nick Caserio and new coach DeMeco Ryans the opportunity to have their pick of the draft, but not all is lost.The Texans are still in position to draft whoever’s left available between Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and still have a high-enough selection at No. 12 overall to take another impactful player (or trade back for future draft picks). Things get a little trickier with that second pick, but the Texans almost certainly will take a quarterback with their first overall pick.The question is, which of Young and Stroud will the Texans take? And do they complement that pick with an offensive weapon, improved protection or by addre sing the defense?TSN’S NFL DRAFT HQ | | The po sibilities are numerous. With that, The Sporting News looks at five of the top combinations Houston has in the 2023 NFL Draft:No. 2: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio StateNo. 12: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio StateA suming Carolina takes Young first overall, Stroud is likely the top option for Houston. Stroud has a better arm than Young and none of the size concerns, and is tremendously accurate at all pa sing levels. He has some minor technical concerns that can be overcome with coaching, making him a worthy selection to go No. 2 overall.The Texans could opt to give Stroud Kurtis MacDermid Kids Jersey a go-to receiver right off the bat with their next pick, even with free-agent additions Robert Woods and Noah Brown. Smith-Njigba might not be the highest-rated receiver of the draft, but has the benefit of having worked extensively with Stroud at Ohio State. He never got going in 2022, but GMs and scouts need only look at the 2022 Rose Bowl vs. Utah to see what he and Stroud can do together.MORE:No. 2: Bryce Young, QB, AlabamaNo. 12: Jordan Addison, WR, USCShould the Panthers buck the latest buzz and take Stroud first overall, the general consensus is Young will be the next player off the board. Were he a few inches and several pounds heavier, he’d be the unanimous No. 1 pick: His size was never an i sue at Alabama, where his pocket presence, mobility, accuracy and ability to make plays off-script helped him win the Heisman Trophy in 2021.Where to from there? The Texans might be inclined to addre s the defense with their second pick, but could just as well take a potential go-to receiver for Young. Several enticing options could still be available with the 12th pick, but Houston should consider Jordan Addison out of USC. The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner had something of a drop-off in 2022 with Caleb Williams as his QB, but he already has familiarity with Young: They worked out together ahead Austin Wagner Women Jersey of the 2022 season when Addison was still rumored to consider Alabama a transfer destination.MORE:No. 2: Young/Stroud, QBNo. 12: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio StateNever mind which of Young or Stroud Houston takes: Whether by proce s of elimination or genuine preference, the Texans a franchise quarterback, and they offer more certainty than project signal-callers Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. Regardle s, adding a QB here would create the need to secure long-term protection Butch Goring Women Jersey for the face of the franchise.The Texans have already secured left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a ma sive three-year, $75 million extension, but right tackle Tytus Howard in the fifth year of his rookie contract will be looking for a new deal. If Houston doesn’t feel his play warrants a new contract after this season, then they could let him walk and simply shift Ohio State’s Paris Johnson in at right tackle. The 6-6, 313-pounder could be a ma sive addition figuratively and literally to protect the QB opposite Tunsil.No. 2: Young/Stroud, QBNo. 12: Myles Murphy, EDGE, ClemsonCaserio again goes with quarterback in one of Young or Stroud, but appeals to Ryan’s defensive background by addre sing a need on defense with the 12th overall pick: edge defender.In this scenario, the top players available at the position Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson are already long off the board. Enter Myles Murphy, who has tremendous length and size at 6-5, 268 pounds. He has the nece sary measurables and physical traits to succeed at the next level, but also needs to work on his technique to consistently succeed vs. NFL tackles.MORE:No. 2: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, AlabamaNo. 12: Will Levis, QB, KentuckyThis almost certainly will not happen, but if Houston was to draft anyone other than a quarterback with its first pick, no other player makes sense besides Anderson. The premier edge-rusher out of Alabama directly impacts an area of need by giving a ma sive shot in the arm to a defense that logged 39 sacks in 2022, which tied for 20th in the league.Taking the top Peter Budaj Women Jersey defender off the board would likely remove Young, Stroud and Richardson off the board by the time Houston picks again at No. 12 overall. Will Levis could still be on the board by then, giving the Texans the opportunity to draft what should be their top priority after taking Anderson. Levis has prototypical size for a quarterback and is one of the most physically gifted signal-callers in the draft, but he needs perhaps the most work of any first-round potential quarterback. If Houston can polish him up as a pa ser, this could be the steal of the draft. being the operative word.<br/>Click here Click here Click here