Interesting detail emerges about Texans’ trade up for Will Anderson
The Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft last week, but that does not mean the former Ohio State star was the top player on their board.
Many analysts predicted that the Texans would take edge rusher Will Anderson at No. 2. Instead, they drafted Stroud and then swung a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 pick, giving them back-to-back picks in the top three. Houston paid a hefty price to trade up and get Anderson, but it is fair to wonder if it would have cost them more to draft Anderson first and then Stroud.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Anderson was the top player on the Texans’ board. However, Houston strategically wanted to get Stroud off the board at No. 2, figuring that would create less competition for the No. 3 pick. Had they taken Anderson first and then tried to trade up to No. 3, they may have been bidding against a team like the Tennessee Titans, who were said to be targeting Stroud.
