Everything’s bigger in Texas. Especially the losses this time of year.
No one was mistaking the Texans for a playoff contender entering the 2022 season, but it was also difficult to envision a world in which they would somehow be worse than their 4-13 record in 2021.
But, the Texans are entering the second half of their season and look about as rudderless as they did in 2022. With serious questions about their quarterback, the losses could bode well for their hopes at a top passer in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Should Houston finish in the top spot, they’ll have options for passer of the future. Whether that’s Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Kentucky’s Will Levis remains to be seen.
It’s not just the quarterbacks that teams are in on. Alabama’s Will Anderson is a safe bet to land as the top player selected, and if not, at minimum the top three. Clemson’s Myles Murphy, Alabama’s Jordan Battle and Oregon’s Noah Sewell all headline a potentially defense-heavy first round.
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With a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving, teams may be thankful for those losses, even if that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Here’s how the current draft order stacks up:
NFL Draft order 2023
This is how the draft order stands prior to the Week 10 “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Chargers and 49ers:
| Pick | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Texans | 1-7-1 |
| 2 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-7 |
| 3 | Carolina Panthers | 3-7 |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 3-7 |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-7 |
| 6 | Chicago Bears | 3-7 |
| 7 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 3-6 |
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 3-6 |
| 9 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | 3-6 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-6 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 3-6 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | 4-6 |
| 13 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-6 |
| 14 | Green Bay Packers | 4-6 |
| 15 | Washington Commanders | 4-5 |
| 16 | Indianapolis Colts | 4-5-1 |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | 5-4 |
| 18 | New England Patriots | 5-4 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-5 |
| 20 | Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA) | 4-4 |
| 21 | Seattle Seahawks | 6-4 |
| 22 | Los Angeles Chargers | 5-3 |
| 23 | New York Jets | 6-3 |
| 24 | Buffalo Bills | 6-3 |
| 25 | Baltimore Ravens | 6-3 |
| 26 | Tennessee Titans | 6-3 |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | 6-3 |
| 28 | New York Giants | 7-2 |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 8-1 |
| 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7-2 |
| 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | 8-0 |
Notes:Â
— The Eagles hold the Saints’ first-round pick as part of a pick swap with New Orleans during the 2022 NFL Draft.
— The Texans hold Cleveland’s first-round pick as part of the Deshaun Watson trade that sent the passer to the Browns.
— The Seahawks have Denver’s first-round pick as compensation from the Russell Wilson trade.
— The Lions have the Rams’ first-round pick due to the Matthew Stafford trade.
— The Broncos traded pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins for a first-round pick prior to the 2022 NFL trade deadline. That pick formerly belonged to San Francisco, which traded it to Miami as part of the Trey Lance package in 2021.
— The Dolphins don’t have their own first-round pick after being sanctioned by the NFL for tampering violations regarding Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
MORE: Sporting News big board for 2023 NFL Draft
Top 2023 NFL Draft prospects
It’s early yet, but after a down year of passers in the 2022 NFL Draft, there could be three first-round prospects come next April.
Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis will all jockey for the right to be the first quarterback off the board come the 2023 NFL Draft. Analysts and scouts currently peg the battle to be between Young and Stroud, with Levis a distant third.
If a quarterback isn’t the first player off the board, then it will most definitely be Crimson Tide pass rusher Will Anderson. Anderson is a dynamic edge capable of disrupting the game from Day 1 in the NFL.Â
