Todd McShay condemns idea that Houston Texans would pass on CJ Stroud with No. 2 pick

That the Houston Texans could pass on taking a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft — yet again kicking the can down the road on the most important position — doesn’t add up to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. During a SportsCenter draft special on Tuesday evening, ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen shared that the Texans could look to another position or a trade if former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young isn’t available.

That would mean former Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, widely expected to be one of the top two picks along with Young, would fall to No. 3 and potentially further. Andersen also teased out that even if Young is available, the Texans might look to trade back. That this could happen left McShay befuddled.

“So, they may do things a little differently than most others view it. So I hear some buzz when I talk to people in the league. But how do you, if you’re running the Houston Texans, and you’ve solidified left tackle with Laremy Tunsil, you’ve done some things. You’ve got some weapons. How do you go into the quarterback room and say, ‘We’ve got Davis Mills and a couple other guys. [Case] Keenum.’ How are we going to move forward without taking CJ Stroud at No. 2, or Bryce Young if Stroud goes one?” McShay said. “It wouldn’t make any sense in the world. Because hopefully, if you’re Houston, you’re thinking ‘We’re not picking this high next year. And we may not have to elite quarterbacks like we have in this years draft. To me it would be a travesty if Houston didn’t stay at two and take a quarterback.”

The discussion was kicked off when McShay’s ESPN draft counterpart, Mel Kiper Jr., projected Stroud to go to the Texans with the No. 2 pick after the Carolina Panthers take Young.

This spurred Mortensen to share that the Texans might not be sold on nabbing a signal caller and could be out on Stroud, in particular.

“I don’t know what the football factors may be, but he also is represented by the same agent who represented Deshaun Watson. Now, you would say ‘That’s stupid,’ but we are talking about the Houston Texans here at two,” Mortensen said. “I think the intrigue will start, if Bryce Young is indeed the No. 1 pick, there’s going to be some intrigue about what the Houston Texans do at two. Will they trade or will they take best player available? Is that a quarterback? Is that quarterback CJ Stroud? Or is it somebody else?”