Bryce Young to Texans After Bears Trade in Chad Reuter's 3-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft

In the latest 2023 NFL mock draft by NFL.com's Chad Reuter, the Houston Texans made an aggressive play to land their next franchise quarterback.

Reuter projected the Texans to move up from the No. 2 spot to the No. 1 in a trade with the Chicago Bears to select Alabama's Bryce Young. He had the Bears then trading again, opening the door for the Indianapolis Colts, who own the fourth pick, to take Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

Young and Stroud are widely considered the two best quarterbacks on the board, but there isn't a clear consensus on the hierarchy between the pair. Stroud is the No. 6 overall player on Bleacher Report's big board, and Young is six spots lower.

Florida's Anthony Richardson (No. 19) and Kentucky's Will Levis (No. 37) are the only other signal-callers in the top 50.

Given the strides Justin Fields made in his second season, the Bears don't figure to be in the market for a quarterback in the early rounds of the draft. That could put Chicago in an advantageous position.

A number of teams in and around the top 10 could look to target a QB and potentially jump the line by making a deal with the Bears. The Colts, Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders all jump out as possibilities.

In the Houston's case, it could stand pat safe with the knowledge it will at worst get whoever is left between Stroud and Young. Should the front office and coaching staff fall in love with one over the other, the organization might feel a lot of pressure to strike a deal with the Bears before somebody else does.