The experts are almost split on which quarterback the Texans will take second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
A month ago, Bryce Young was projected to Houston on nearly 80 percent of mock drafts. In the latest round of mock drafts, 51.9 percent of the mockers had him headed to the Texans.
Young, who won the 2021 Heisman Trophy, was mocked to Houston by 28 of 54 experts, while Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was a Texans' choice in 21 of 54 (38.9 percent) mock drafts.
The only other player who was mocked to Houston by more than one expert was Alabama defensive lineman Will Anderson, Jr.
In all, 50 of the 54 mock drafts surveyed had the Texans taking a quarterback.
The Texans have 12 picks in this year's NFL Draft, and two of those are first-rounders.
The NFL Draft begins a week from Thursday in Kansas City.
Over the last two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Young played in a combined 27 games, completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 8,200 yards. He tossed a combined 79 touchdowns and just 12 picks in that two-year window.
Stroud, meanwhile, played in 25 games during that same two-year span. He threw 85 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions and completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 8,123 yards.
| MOCK DRAFT | TEXANS SELECTION |
|---|---|
| 1. CBS SPORTS (RYAN WILSON) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 2. DRAFT COUNTDOWN (SHANE HALLAM) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 3. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (CAM MELLOR) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 4. SPORTING NEWS (VINNIE IYER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 5. FANTASY PROS (MATTHEW FREEDMAN) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 6. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (TONY PAULINE) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 7. WALTER FOOTBALL (WALTER CHEREPINSKY) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 8. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (JONATHAN ALEXANDER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 9. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (SAM MONSON) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 10. CBS SPORTS (TOM FORNELLI) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 11. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (BROOKS KUBENA) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 12. NFL.COM (CHAD REUTER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 13. CBS SPORTS (PETE PRISCO) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 14. USA TODAY (DOUG FARRAR) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 15. ESPN (TODD MCSHAY) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 16. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (MIKE RENNER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 17. LOS ANGELES TIMES (SAM FARMER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 18. THE ATHLETIC (BRUCE FELDMAN) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 19. NFL.COM (CYNTHIA FRELUND) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 20. FOX SPORTS (JASON MCINTYRE) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 21. NFL.COM (BUCKY BROOKS) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 22. ESPN (JORDAN REID) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 23. NFL.COM (ERIC EDHOLM) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 24. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (BRAD SPIELBERGER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 25. THE RINGER (DANNY KELLY) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 26. ESPN (MATT MILLER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 27. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (TREVOR SIKKEMA) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 28. ATHLON SPORTS (BRYAN FISCHER) | QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA |
| 1. HOUSTONTEXANS.COM/DRAFTTAKEOVER.COM (JOHN HARRIS) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 2. THE ATHLETIC (DANE BRUGLER) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 3. CBS SPORTS (CHRIS TRAPASSO) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 4. CBS SPORTS (KYLE STACKPOLE) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 5. WALTER FOOTBALL (CHARLIE CAMPBELL) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 6. CBS SPORTS (JARED DUBIN) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 7. USA TODAY (LUKE EASTERLING) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 8. NFL.COM (CHARLES DAVIS) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 9. BLEACHER REPORT (SCOUTING DEPARTMENT) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 10. CBS SPORTS (JOSH EDWARDS) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 11. 33RD TEAM (SCOUTING DEPT) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 12. ESPN (MEL KIPER, JR.) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 13. FOX SPORTS (JOEL KLATT) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 14. NFL.COM (RHETT LEWIS) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 15. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (IAN CUMMINGS) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 16. SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK (HUB ARKUSH) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 17. NFL.COM (ADAM RANK) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 18. 247 SPORTS (BLAKE BROCKERMEYER) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 19. ESPN (MIKE TANNENBAUM) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 20. NEW YORK POST (STEVE SERBY) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 21. NFL.COM (DANIEL JEREMIAH) | QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE |
| 1. GALLERYSPORTS.COM (JOHN MCCLAIN) | DL WILL ANDERSON, JR., ALABAMA |
| 2. CHICAGO TRIBUNE (BRAD BIGGS) | DL WILL ANDERSON, JR., ALABAMA |
| 3. USA TODAY (JEFF RISDON) | DL WILL ANDERSON, JR., ALABAMA |
| FANTASY PROS (THOR NYSTROM) | QB WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY |
| NFL.COM (LANCE ZIERLEIN) | DL TYREE WILSON, TEXAS TECH |
