Houston The goal of Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio’s 2022 offseason transfer of quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns was to “put together a foundation.”
Two years later, the young core of the Texans won the AFC South last season thanks in part to the draft picks obtained in the trade. Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud may not have been directly affected by the trade, but the Texans used assets from the Browns trade to select defensive end Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 on draft day in 2023, sending shockwaves through the NFL just moments after selecting Stroud with the No. 2 pick.
After his first season as head coach, DeMeco Ryans stated, “We like where we are with the young nucleus of guys that we have moving into the future and next year.” “I feel like we have a good group to build off of.”
A fourth-round pick in 2022, a third-round pick in 2023, a fourth-round pick in 2024, and first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 were traded by the Browns to the Texans.
Caserio acknowledged that while the potential was “good on paper,” the company needed to “maximize the opportunity.”
The draft for 2023 has yielded the most benefits thus far. Along with Stroud, Anderson was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The only other Texans rookies to be named Pro Bowlers were Jerome Mathis (2005) and Brian Cushing (2009). In order to obtain the No. 3 pick from the Arizona Cardinals to choose Anderson, Caserio sent the Browns their first-round pick (No. 12) in 2023, their own second-round selection, and their first-round selection (No. 27) in 2024. After completing with 7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, and ranking third in pass rush victory rate (25.8%), Anderson is the only player selected to the Pro Bowl via two drafts.
“Will, man, he’s probably the most talented player — one of the most talented players I’ve ever been around in my life,” Stroud stated. His mentality, which includes his unwavering drive to succeed, his grit in the locker room, and his overall demeanor, not only matches but perhaps surpasses his talent. Don’t get me wrong, he has incredible talent, but if you can combine it with what he possesses, you’re going to be very powerful.”
Houston also moved up four spots to obtain the Los Angeles Rams’ pick in the 2023 third-round by using the Browns’ pick (No. 73) in a deal. They selected wide receiver Tank Dell, who entered the 2023 season with 1,205 receiving yards anticipated before getting hurt in the opening quarter of the team’s game against the Denver Broncos in Week 13. Despite this, Dell and Stroud concluded with the eighth-highest passing yards (709 yards) of any first-year quarterback and wide receiver combination ever.
Prior to the 2023 season, the selections made in the 2022 draft appeared to have greater promise, but as the season progressed, doubts surfaced. The Texans selected running back Dameon Pierce in the fourth round (with selection No. 107), after using the No. 15 pick on left guard Kenyon Green.
Although Pierce and Green were viewed as building blocks going into Year 3, they had some work to do this offseason.
As a rookie, Green started 14 games, but according to Next Gen Stats, he gave up the highest pressure rate of any left guard at 13%. After suffering a shoulder injury in the final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, he was out for the whole previous campaign.
Before going on injured reserve due to an ankle injury in 13 games, Pierce showed promise as a rookie by rushing for 939 yards. During training camp, Ryans expressed his desire for the offense to revolve on him, saying, “For us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon at his A-game.”
However, Pierce was ineffective in 2023 before Devin Singletary overtook him in the depth chart.
Pierce had ranked 10th in carries (109) but had the fourth-worst average of 3.0 yards per attempt among running backs with at least 40 carries through the first eight weeks of play.
After that, Singletary gained 288 yards of yardage as a substitute for Pierce, who missed three games due to an ankle injury, making him an RB1.
For the remainder of the season, Pierce carried the ball 36 times. In the final four games, which included the two playoff contests, he had 18 offensive snaps.
Ryans was evasive when asked what his plans were for Pierce after 2024.
“We’ll see where all of the guys and all the positions are on our team,” Ryans stated. “We’ll look at the roster — me and Nick — and see where we are and where we have to improve our roster, and I think that’s our job is to continue to improve our roster as best as we can.”
The AFC’s top seed, the Baltimore Ravens, defeated the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. However, because they possess the rights to the Browns’ choice, they really improved their draft position when they defeated them in the first round last month.
The later the selection, the further into the playoffs the Browns would have advanced. Caserio will now need to choose his 23 players a little more carefully.
Ryans stated, “You still need to add more pieces.” You’re constantly looking to improve and add talent, so that’s where we’ll focus our summer efforts. Who can we get to assist us in recovering?”
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