Houston Texans owner addresses speculation he forced team to draft CJ Stroud

The Houston Texans drafted Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s NFL draft. Texans owner Cal McNair insists that the choice was made by members of the Houston front office, not by him or his wife Hannah.

Nick Caserio is the GM of the Texans, and he was in charge of the draft, according to McNair.

“Hannah and I don’t make the picks. We’ll make it clear there,” McNair said during the 20th annual Houston Texans Charity Golf Classic, according to ESPN. “We have a great group of scouts led by Nick [Caserio] and James Lippert, and they did a lot of work on the draft board, and then they followed that on draft day, and they moved up when they saw the value was there and moved back.”

Immediately after drafting Stroud No. 2 overall, the Texans traded up to select Alabama defender Will Anderson Jr. No. 3 overall.

In order to move up, the Texans gave up the No. 12 and No. 33 overall picks in the 2023 NFL draft, plus a 2024 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick. Houston got back the No. 3 overall pick and the No. 105 overall pick for the 2023 draft.

Thanks in part to bringing in Stroud and Anderson, as well as other offseason moves, McNair expects the Texans to be improved in 2023, after finishing 3-13-1 last year.

“I think you just have to look at the roster, and I think it’s a better roster this year, very competitive,” McNair said. “They want to have competition spots on the roster. So, I see a lot of progress. A lot of good things.”

Cal McNair says CJ Stroud will have to ‘earn his spot’ with Houston Texans

While Cal McNair is a big believer in new Texans QB CJ Stroud, he isn’t ready to say that Stroud will be the starter this upcoming season.

McNair recently told reporters that Stroud will have to earn his spot on the depth chart, just like everyone else.

The former Ohio State Buckeyes star could earn the starting job as soon as the first week of training camp. Or, it could take longer for him to overtake returning starter Davis Mills. McNair is prepared to watch the competition play its way out.

“I think that’s up to him and how he plays, and the coaches and how they see him,” McNair said of when Stroud could grab the starting job. “So, he’ll earn his spot, wherever that is. He’ll feel like he’s earned it and the team will know he’s earned it. Wherever he winds up, we’re looking forward to that.”

The Houston Texans kicked off rookie minicamp this week, which marks the beginning of the camp and offseason training schedule.