NFL Draft Rumors: Texans 'Don't Seem Particularly Sold' on Taking QB with No. 2 Pick

While it has long been assumed that the Houston Texans are set to take their next quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, things aren't looking so clear cut with the big night just a week away.

While appearing on SportsCenter on Thursday afternoon, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the organization may not be convinced by some of the top prospects at the position and might pivot in another direction, mainly toward defense:

"We don't know that the Houston Texans, despite conventional wisdom, are going quarterback at two. In fact, there seems to be increasing speculation that the Texans won't go quarterback at two. That they'll go with the highest-rated defensive player on their board in this draft ... The thinking around the league is they don't seem particularly sold on going quarterback at two."

Recent reports have stated that Alabama's Bryce Young is expected to be taken with the top pick in the draft by the Carolina Panthers. That would leave other elite talents such as Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis all as potential QB options for Houston.

Stroud has been viewed as a top-two quarterback prospect throughout most of the predraft process, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Texans take him.

It'd be difficult to imagine the organization not taking a signal-caller, considering the struggles that it's had at the position over the past couple of seasons. Davis Mills, a 2021 third-round pick, has not turned out to be the long-term solution.

The Texans went 3-13-1 in 2022 and were second-to-last in the league in total offense (283.5 yards per game) and 30th points per game (17.0). Their fanbase will be crying out for a change when draft night rolls around.

Schefter's report may mean that Houston is a candidate to trade down with another quarterback-needy team in order to get itself a nice haul of picks. When the Panthers traded up to the No. 1 slot, the Bears received pick Nos. 9 and 61 in 2023, a first-rounder in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

So, there's a lot to be gained for general manager Nick Caserio if he truly doesn't love any quarterback prospect.

He will obviously have his choice of any of the elite defensive prospects if the Texans stay at No. 2. B/R's NFL Scouting Department has Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter as the top two players in the draft class on their most recent big board.