Texans shock NFL world with draft-day trade, pick of Will Anderson Jr.

Houston added two players in the first round who could make an instant impact.

Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. reacts after being chosen by the Houston Texans with the second overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

The Houston Texans pulled off the first shocker of the first round on Thursday as they moved up to snag not one, but two of the top three picks in the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston tabbed Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud as its signal-caller of the future with the No. 2 pick, and Texans fans celebrated the Stroud selection as they awaited the team’s next pick at No. 12. But they didn’t have to wait long for Stroud’s new teammate. Houston then traded up to the No. 3 pick in the draft, selecting Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson in a surprising top-three double dip. 

The Texans paid quite the haul to move up and acquire what many considered to be the best defensive player in the draft. Houston received pick No. 3 and pick No. 105 in the 2023 draft in its deal with Arizona, sending back the No. 12 and No. 33 picks in 2023 as well as a 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. The price to move up nine spots wasn’t cheap. But if Anderson is an impact player early in his Houston tenure, such a price will seem rather immaterial in October and November. 

Houston’s blockbuster trade sent shockwaves around the league on a night with little guarantees outside of the Panthers selecting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick. Check out some of the best reactions to the Texans’ deal below, with insight from players and analysts league-wide. 

Barring another trade, the Texans will now not draft again until the third round when they pick at No. 65. Their new franchise cornerstones are expected to be introduced to the media via Zoom on Thursday night. 

Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Rockets, Astros and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.