Texans Dominate NFL Draft Night, But Not Waiting For Caleb Williams May Haunt Their Future Tomorrows

Everyone expected the Houston Texans to do something stupid, to turn the NFL Draft into another window into organizational dysfunction and perhaps even chaos. Jerry Springer dying on Texans’ draft day even could be seen as messy drama foreshadowing. Instead, the Texans go from messy to decisive. They dominate the NFL Draft news cycle, getting both what owner Cal McNair demanded (a quarterback of hope, Ohio State star C.J. Stroud in this case) and what new highly respected coach DeMeco Ryans wanted (outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr.).

Instead, the Texans seem. . . almost united. Today over tomorrow.

Stroud and Anderson, stars from college football playoff era’s two premier programs (Ohio State and Alabama), also seem very excited to be coming to Houston and this oft ridiculed Texans organization. That is no small win in itself.

The Texans’ new quarterback takes the big draft stage in Kansas City shouting “Let’s go! Let’s go!” to the crowd. Anderson cleanly lifts NFL commissioner Roger Goodell off the ground during the now traditional post draft hug. These two know nothing but well run excellence in their football organizations — and they’re pumped to be coming to Houston.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio made it happen by pulling off an audacious trade up to the No, 3 overall pick, after selecting Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick. Caserio gave up a ton to move up to take Anderson after grabbing Stroud (including the Texans’ own first round pick next year), but he surely knows he won’t be around if it doesn’t work anyway. Why not take the shot? Caserio isn’t going to get another one without a major showing of hope this season.

This Texans organization clearly didn’t feel like it could wait for that better quarterback class of 2024. USC’s Caleb Williams, who is already being compared to Patrick Mahomes, will not be a Houston Texan. Cal McNair’s franchise is all in on C.J. Stroud now.

This is an NFL Draft night that is about today as much as tomorrow for the Texans. That seems like a dangerous way to approach a draft, but that is this franchise’s reality.

“I would say that from our perspective, it’s not about like the points chart,” Caserio says in his post draft news conference. “If you have conviction about a player and you want a player, and you think a trade is the right thing for you to do, then you ahead and do it.

“Which is what we did. We’re certainly not worried about what like the points are. Or what the trade chart says? It doesn’t really mean anything.”

It means plenty to other NFL front offices. The trade value chart is a staple for determining how much is too much to give up. The Texans may be on their NFL own on this one when , but their fans largely seem all in. And maybe that matters more. When you’re trying to bring people back to NRG Stadium, maybe creating excitement carries value that goes beyond traditional football decisions.

The massive NFL Draft party at Miller Outdoor Theatre (one of the better ideas the Texans have had in recent years is creating this outdoor public party for the fans) certainly is energized by the Stroud pick and quick trade to No. 3. One that Caserio says didn’t get finalized until there is only a minute and 30 seconds left on the 10 minute pick clock.

The Texans — and Ryans in particular — are certainly showing a lot of belief in Will Anderson Jr. They give up the No. 12 and No. 33 picks in this year’s draft, their No. 1 pick next year (which easily could be in the Top 10) and their third round pick next year to get Anderson and the No. 105 pick in this year’s draft.

Somewhere on a boat, Jimmy Johnson is smiling.

“It means they can see how special I am,” Anderson says on the ESPN telecast.

That’s a strong initial reaction — and Anderson must prove he’s extremely special for this bold Texans NFL Draft to work.

“Can’t say enough good things about Will,” Caserio says. “Just the person that he is. The human being that he is. His leadership. And unsolicited before the draft, we received commentary about. . .  just the praise was just incredible. But it was — we’ve talked about this — whoever they are as players, they are as people as well.”

Some are saying that Caserio does not sound nearly as excited about Stroud, but trying to read into the comments of a GM who works talk about a college intro to finance course into his post draft news conference is futile. Caserio’s press conference comments often sound like they could be produced by ChatGPT.

You’re not getting a read off of him.

Stroud is much more compelling. “Believe in yourself,” he tells the cameras. “I came from nothing.”

Now, this accurate quarterback goes to a franchise that must rise from the nothing it created for itself.

Winning today, but what about tomorrow? This is the question for the Houston Texans. C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson must be no doubt stars to make this Texans takeover of the draft carry into any kind of future. So far the Texans have gotten the bold part right. So far they seem united.

As for tomorrow. . .