Texans Draft 2023: First Round targets Week 14 update

Each week, we will update potential Houston Texans’ first-round draft targets based on their draft standing at the current time.

As of Dec. 7, through 13 weeks of the NFL season, the Houston Texans hold the first and 13th picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The pick that is first overall is their own selection, and the pick that is currently 13th is the Cleveland Browns’ pick that is owed to the Texans as part of the Deshaun Watson trade.

First overall pick: There is no change in this pick from last week’s first look. The Houston Texans will be looking for a franchise quarterback and will be choosing between C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Bryce Young of Alabama.

Right now, I still believe that despite the hype for Young, Stroud is the better fit and more likely pick for the Texans in this spot.

13th overall pick: Players mentioned last week as targets at 10 overall included:

Ohio St WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Notre Dame DE Isaiah Foskey

TCU WR Quentin Johnston

Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson

Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski

At 13, it is possible that several of those players could already be off the board. Some mocks now have Skoronski going as high as fourth overall. While I think that is a stretch, it is certainly plausible he could be selected before 13.

Quentin Johnston could also be off the board, as he is currently being mocked in many places to go just before the Texans pick at 13.

Currently, many mocks also have either Quentin Johnston or Tyree Wilson to the Texans at 13.

However, since we are potentially taking two names off the board as possibilities to be gone before 13, we will add two more names to the list as potential targets at the 13 spot:

Jordan Addison WR USC (6’0″, 175 lbs.): Addison leads the Trojans in receptions (59), yards (875), and receiving touchdowns (8) in 11 games in his first year at Southern Cal. He transferred to USC for this season following two years at Pitt. In 2021, Addison won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s most outstanding receiver after lighting up defenses for 100 receptions, 1593 yards, and 17 touchdowns in 14 games in his final year as a Panther. He was possibly the single most sought-after player in the transfer portal before the 2022 season. USC even allowed him to wear a previously retired number (he wears 3, which was previously retired for Carson Palmer).

Addison has incredible athleticism and big-time (4.39) speed. He also knows how to use his hands and arms for separation, making him more than just a deep threat. He makes precision cuts to leave defensive backs in his wake. He has the vision to find holes in zone defenses and excellent hand strength to win on contested balls. He tracks deep passes well and attacks the football.

Myles Murphy DE/EDGE Clemson (6’5″, 275 lbs.): A five-star recruit out of high school, Murphy made an instant impact on the Tigers’ defense as a freshman. He recorded a pair of sacks in his very first game. He finished his freshman season in Clemson with 4 sacks, 10½ tackles for loss, and 3 forced fumbles. He improved his sophomore season to 8 sacks and 14½ tackles for loss, while forcing a pair of fumbles. So far this season, Murphy has recorded 6½ sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

Murphy has terrific speed (4.57) for a player his size and a killer spin move that combine to allow him to get to quarterbacks. He uses his hands well and can shove off blockers, as well as use his lower base strength to drive blockers back. He is a smart, instinctive player with off-the-charts athleticism. He is a freak athlete who benches 405 pounds and has a 35-inch vertical leap to go along with mid-4.5 speed.

With the updated information this week that Smith-Njigba will not play again this season, focusing on getting himself ready for the draft, it likely does devalue him some at this point. The likelihood of Brandin Cooks being on another team next season means the Texans will need a playmaker for their new signal caller.

For right now, the lean for the pick at 13 is Quentin Johnston or Jordan Addison, depending on which player is available. If both are available, the current lean for the choice is Johnston.