The 2023 NFL draft helped transform the Houston Texans from NFL laughingstock to emerging contender. This year's festivities could put them over the hump into the Super Bowl discussion.
It will be impossible to replicate last year's excitement, when Houston took quarterback C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall and traded up to grab defensive end Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3, with this duo going on to sweep the NFL's rookie of the year honors. The Texans don't own a first-round pick entering Thursday, though The Athletic's Dianna Russini expects them to "at least try" to move up, given general manager Nick Caserio's track record.