The first two picks of the 2023 NFL Draft went according to plan. The Carolina Panthers, as expected, took Bryce Young out of Alabama at No. 1 overall, while the Houston Texans decided to get their quarterback of the future by selecting C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State with the second selection of the night.
And then, things got weird. The Arizona Cardinals were viewed as a potential trade partner for a team that wanted to get one of the other high-profile QB prospects at No. 3 overall, but instead, we got one heck of a curveball: The Texans decided to move up and get back-to-back picks.
At No. 3, the #AZCardinals are trading with the #Texans.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 28, 2023
And they’re off: The Arizona Cardinals have traded No. 3 overall pick to the Texans, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2023
Houston’s big swing led to them acquiring perhaps the best defensive player in the draft. After getting Stroud to be the face of their offense going forward, the team selected Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama, who should immediately step in and become a force off the edge. It will, unsurprisingly, cost them a pretty penny, as the Texans will reportedly get the Nos. 3 and 105 picks in this year’s draft in exchange for a pair of firsts, a second, and a third.
Cardinals get:
12
33
1st in 2024
3rd in 2024Texans get:
3
105— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2023
Anderson was a back-to-back unanimous All-American selection in each of the last two season.