Texans General Manager Nick Caserio was able to wheel and deal his way into a second consecutive pick at No. 3 overall on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft.
After selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud with Houston’s own pick at No. 2, the club traded back up to select edge rusher Will Anderson.
Houston used Cleveland’s original pick at No. 12, its own 2024 first-round pick, the 33rd overall pick this year, and a 2024 third-round selection to get back up. The Texans also received the 105th overall pick from Arizona.
After making the picks, Caserio acknowledged that the Texans gave up plenty to select Anderson. But from his perspective, the deal was worth it to acquire a second potential cornerstone player.
“Really the trade in and of itself is just about doing what we felt was best for the team and the organization, and trades are always a product or a function of the player,” Caserio said in his press conference. “Just from our perspective, it’s not about what the points tell you on the chart. If you have conviction about a player and you want a player and you think the trade is the right thing for you to do, then you go ahead and do it, which is what we did.
“We’re certainly not worried about what the points are and what the trade chart says. I mean, it doesn’t really mean anything. So the trade was really driven more by, this is a player we thought would bring a lot of value to our team. So that’s why we went ahead and did it.”
As it stands, the Texans have two players that Caserio says they’re certainly excited about adding to a team that finished last season 3-13-1.
“We’ve said from the beginning, this is not about one person. It’s not going to be about one individual,” Caserio said. “It’s just trying to put together the best team, collectively as much as possible. I think the two players we selected this evening are certainly emblematic of that.”
