Texans Pick 'Best Pure Passer' C.J. Stroud, Elite EDGE Lukas Van Ness: NFL Mock Draft

With the NFL draft fast approaching the Houston Texans find themselves with a golden opportunity to further along the rebuild with the likely selection of their next franchise quarterback and another key starter.

Of course, the Texans could pass on a quarterback in the first round but it is much more likely they take their guy with the second overall pick - which is the route they go down in the latest NFL.com mock draft.

Rd 1. No. 2 - C.J. Stroud - QB (Ohio State)

"The best pure passer in this draft uses ball placement as his superpower, elevating the skill players around him by allowing them to showcase their talents after the catch. Stroud’s stellar postseason performances at Ohio State give Houston a glimpse of the player he can be when the lights shine brightest, as he’ll be tasked with leading this team back to big-game situations."

Reports have come out that Alabama's Bryce Young is all but guaranteed to go first overall to the Carolina Panthers, which would leave the Texans with a choice of taking Stroud or passing on the quarterback position for someone like Alabama's Will Anderson Jr.

However, there is plenty to like about Stroud, who is seen by some as the better of the two quarterback prospects.

In his two seasons starting at Ohio State, he threw for 8,123 yards with 41 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions while completing 69.3 percent of his passes. While Young may go first overall, Stroud would still be a solid pick at No. 2 overall.

As for their second first-round pick, some mock drafts have the Texans going with a receiver to pair with their new franchise quarterback. This one, though, sees Houston bolster its defense.

Rd. 1 No. 12 - Lukas Van Ness - EDGE (Iowa)

"The muscled-up Iowa Hawkeye finds a home in Houston with first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. The defense Ryans led in San Francisco was consistently among the best and most productive in the league, and Van Ness gives the Texans a big piece to build that type of foundation up front."

The Texans were not good on defense last season, allowing opponents to score 24.7 points per game on 379.5 yards of offense per game.

Van Ness might not be the sole solution to Houston's defensive woes, but taking him at No. 12 overall would add another member to a young core that features Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre.

He was productive in his final two seasons at Iowa with 70 total tackles, including 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks for one of the nation's best defenses.

Houston may very well not be impressed with Stroud and opt to pass on him at No. 2 overall. For now, though, it is a safer bet to give them one of the top two quarterback prospects as well as much-needed defensive help.

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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