Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down possible No. 2 overall picks in NFL Draft

The drama around the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft has slowly fallen off over the last few weeks. In turn, that has led the interest in what the Houston Texans are going to do at No. 2 to grow substantially.

To Mel Kiper Jr., all options are now on the table for the Texans. In an appearance on #Greeny at ESPN, he said it’s a complete unknown heading into draft week. Houston could go for a quarterback like CJ Stroud or take a defensive prospect like Will Anderson. He even sees a scenario where they could trade out of the slot altogether.

“Nobody really knew for sure,” Kiper said. “Until now, it’s Bryce Young. A week ago, we started hearing that from Adam (Schefter) and Mort, right? And now you’re hearing Houston could take Will Anderson Jr., trade out, or take another quarterback other than CJ Stroud.”

With that in mind, Kiper’s focus will be on if the franchise goes with a quarterback at all. Considering their quarterback spot is being led by Davis Mills, many believed that QB would be an obvious position to upgrade, especially in this class. Still, with this new information, he will be watching both of their first-round picks, specifically No. 12, to see if they snatch a quarterback that falls or if they elect to go in a different direction.

“What I’m interested to see is forget all the predictions. Does Houston end up with a quarterback in the first round? They pick again at 12 and people are going to say, ‘Why didn’t they take one at two?’. Well, Will Anderson Jr. is a pretty good football player. They can still get a quarterback they love and be fortunate that way,” said Kiper. “(It’s) like Buffalo was when Josh (Allen) slid to seven and they traded up to get him. Or (Justin) Fields dropped to 11 and the Bears went up and got him. Or Green Bay with (Aaron) Rogers and he slid off the No. 1 pick that we thought he would be three weeks before that draft.”

“So, if things happen right, does Houston get the quarterback they want?,” Kiper asked.

With as many first-round picks as anybody in the draft, there’s pressure on the Texans to get this right with their pair of high selections. Which direction they’ll go, though, remains uncertain and could stay that way until they make their choices come Thursday night.