2023 NFL Draft: Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud Reportedly Recommended the Team Draft WR Nathaniel Dell
The Houston Texans go into the 2023 season with an entirely revamped roster. With quarterback C.J. Stroud and EDGE Will Anderson—the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, respectively—in tow, the Texans look to embark on a new era of winning football in Houston.
Stroud and Anderson are not, of course, the only two new Texans. Along with various other draft picks, former University of Houston wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell—a third-round pick—has also joined the team. After the Texans picked Stroud on the first night, Stroud reportedly “told the front office he wanted [Dell] and they delivered.”
Stroud and Dell apparently got to know each other during the Combine, and Stroud seemingly liked Dell’s route running at the event. Dell is somewhat undersized for a receiver, checking in at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, but he ran in the 4.4s at the Combine and put up gaudy numbers in college. He should end up as a serviceable wideout in the league, especially if given the ability to run a particularized set of routes in a defined role.
To be sure, a quarterback having input on the roster is usually the sort of thing that teams reserve for more established passers. For example, in 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs listened (although perhaps they now wish that they didn’t) when quarterback Patrick Mahomes recommended that the team draft running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round. Also, in recent years, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has reportedly requested that his team acquire certain players (like Randall Cobb). By contrast, Stroud was on the Texans for less than a day when Texans brass asked him about draft strategy.
Still, Stroud’s experience with Dell at the Combine certainly provided helpful insight to the team when it was thinking about getting receivers who will mesh well with its new franchise quarterback. Moreover, the third round was a good spot for the Texans to snag Dell anyway, who played his college ball just 20 minutes from the Texans’ stadium.
In the end, one cannot underrate the importance of a young quarterback’s comfort. If Stroud felt he had a connection with Dell, and having Dell on the team would ease—even a little bit—Stroud’s transition to his new team, the pick was worth it. That said, if the Texans are picking early again in the draft next year, Stroud likely will not have to do much convincing to get the team to try bringing in his Ohio State teammate Marvin Harrison Jr., who is the No. 1 receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
