Houston Texans owner Cal McNair said he did not force the team to take Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Hannah and I don’t make the picks. We’ll make it clear there,” McNair said during the Houston Texans Charity Golf Classic, via DJ Bien-Aime of 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.”
#Texans owner Cal McNair makes it adamantly clear on the draft that “Hannah and I don’t make the picks. We ll make it clear there.”
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) May 8, 2023
There Was Speculation That Cal McNair Forced Team To Take C.J. Stroud
There was speculation surrounding the Texans that McNair forced the team to take Stroud, a quarterback, with the second pick. The team traded the No. 12 pick, the No. 33 pick, and a 2024 first-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals to move up to No. 3. The Texans took Alabama defensive end, Will Anderson. Many saw this as a compromise between McNair, the general manager Nick Casiero, and the head coach DeMeco Ryans.
After the draft, McNair believes the Texans have a “better roster” this year.
McNair said, “I think you just have to look at the roster, and I think it’s a better roster this year, very competitive. They want to have competition spots on the roster. So, I see a lot of progress. A lot of good things.”
#Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair 'I think it's a better roster this year. I see progress' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/lP1iWqUMXT
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 8, 2023
Cal McNair Believes C.J. Stroud Could Be The Starting QB
The Texans drafted Stroud, in part, due to their lack of a franchise quarterback. In 2022, Davis Mills threw for 3,118 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Mills’s 33.1 QBR was tied for 29th in the NFL.
Stroud is the projected quarterback of the future for the Texans. However, McNair said the Ohio State prospect must “earn” the job.
“Well, I think that’s up to him and how he plays, and how the coaches see him,” McNair said. “He’ll earn his spot wherever that is, and he’ll feel like he’s earned it.”
#Texans Cal McNair on when C.J. Stroud could become QB1 'that's up to him and how he plays' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/YHWRe30MHL
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 8, 2023
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