Will Anderson favored to go second overall on April 27
The decision on what the Houston Texans should do with the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft appears to be getting a lot tougher. Houston is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, and this draft class boasts quite a few that have the potential to turn into that. And with the Carolina Panthers leaning towards drafting Bryce Young first, the Texans would have their pick of CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. It does, however, seem like Houston is seriously entertaining the possibility of drafting a defensive player. After all, the Texans hired a defensive-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans, and the team is meeting with some of the top defensive prospects in this class. So, you really can’t rule anything out at this point.
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Odds to be the No. 2 Pick
| Will Anderson | -350 |
| CJ Stroud | +300 |
| Will Levis | +750 |
| Tyree Wilson | +750 |
(Odds as of April 27, 10:15 p.m. PT)
Will Anderson scouting report
We’ve been hearing about Anderson as a high-level NFL prospect for three full years now. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound linebacker amassed 34.5 sacks over three years in Nick Saban’s Alabama defense, and he is viewed as a can’t-miss star at the next level. Anderson’s quickness off the line is downright scary, and he should live in the backfield in the NFL. That’ll make him an elite pass rusher, but also a great option against the run. And Anderson also has the foot speed required to make plays in the open field. There really aren’t many holes in his game, but he can stand to add some weight to his frame.
CJ Stroud scouting report
Stroud has a big arm and is more of a prototypical pocket passer than Young, but there are some questions about his mobility to avoid the rush. He seemed to quell some of those concerns with his display in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia. Stroud posted an 85/12 TD/INT ratio over two seasons as the starting QB for an Ohio State team with absurd amounts of talent at the wide receiver position.
Will Levis scouting report
Levis has the measurables at 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds. He’s not a runner and more of an upright pocket passer, but he’s got a big arm and good size to see over the line and above rushing defenders. Levis has more experience under his belt as a two-year starter that played in all four of his collegiate seasons, including the first two at Penn State. With Kentucky, Levis posted a 43/23 TD/INT ratio with good completion rates in an NFL offense, first led by Liam Coen (Rams OC 2022 and now Kentucky OC again) and then Rich Scangarello (49ers QB coach, longtime NFL assistant). The numbers weren’t great, but neither were the receivers and the Wildcats ran the ball a lot.
Tyree Wilson scouting report
Wilson was sidelined with a foot injury suffered in November, but he is well on his way to a return and teams seem to be pleased enough with his medicals that he has been climbing draft boards. He’s a mountain of a linebacker at 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds. He had 32 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over four collegiate seasons, with one at Texas A&M and three at Texas Tech. He had 99 of his 121 tackles over his final two seasons as a Red Raider and will be an edge lineman that can disrupt plays by getting in the backfield.
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