The landed in the in quarterback (No. 2 overall) and edge rusher (No. 3). They highlight a nine-player draft cla s Houston hopes will accelerate its rebuild with new coach DeMeco Ryans.In addition to Stroud and Anderson, center Juice Struggs (second round), receiver Nathaniel "Tank" Dell (third), defensive end Dylan Horton (fourth), linebacker Henry T'oTo'o (fifth), center Jarrett Patterson (sixth), receiver Xavier Michael Conforto Jersey Hutchinson (sixth) and safety Brandon Hill (seventh round).What do the rookie draft picks mean for Houston?A breakdown:Quarterback (3): , , Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, . He's the likely Week 1 starter, but Ryans may not feel pre sured to throw the former Ohio State star into the fire right away. He has two experienced quarterbacks to lean on in Mills and Keenum, who've started a combined 90 NFL games.It wouldn't be surprising to see Houston keep all three on its initial 53-man roster. Having multiple veteran quarterback voices to lean on could be beneficial for Stroud's development. Wide receiver 
: , , , Tank Dell, , Xavier HutchinsonThe Texans have more wide receiver depth than they had a year ago. Even without a bonafide No. 1 option, it's a group that gives Stroud a chance at succe s.Woods, who had 53 catches for 527 yards and two touchdowns last season, will be two years removed from a torn ACL. Nico Collins was on pace for more than 800 receiving yards last season before a hamstring i sue ended his 2022 campaign premature. Metchie, a second-round pick last year, is expected to be a contributor after mi sing his rookie season due to Leukemia. Dell, a third-rounder this year, is a twitchy, speedy playmaker for Stroud to grow with.Running back (4): , , , (FB)Houston accomplished its goal of getting more running back depth behind Pierce, the engine of the offense. Singletary figures to be a strong No. 2 option. He had 1,099 yards from scrimmage last season with the 819 rushing yards and 280 receiving yards.Tight end (4): , Eric Tomlinson, , Schultz is one of the better tight ends in the NFL, an insurance blanket that Stroud will be able to lean on. The former has had more than 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He has a chance to be the Texans' No. 1 receiving option.Offensive line (9): , , Juice Scruggs, , , , Jarrett Patterson, , The Texans Tom Seaver Jersey upgraded at right guard by trading for Shaq Mason A.J. Cann was released as a cap casualty and have depth at center between draft picks Scruggs (second round) and Patterson (sixth round) and veteran Deiter Steven Matz Jersey .The interior offensive line reinforcements bode in favor of an improved run game. Last season, Houston ranked near the bottom of the league in several run-blocking metrics: 30th in adjusted line yards (quantifies OL responsibility on running back carries), 30th in second-level yards (yards earned by RB between five-to-10 yards past the line of scrimmage, divided by carries) and 26th in stuffed rate (percentage of runs the RB is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage), according to Football Outsiders.Defensive line (9): Will Anderson Jr., , , , , , , , If Anderson becomes the star he's projected to become, the steep haul to jump from No. 12 to 3 in the draft to grab him will have been worth it to the Texans. In 2023, Anderson, Greenard and Hughes could give Houston a formidable trio of pa s rushers.Houston's run defense, which gave up 170.2 rushing yards per game last season, should be much improved with the additions of Rankins and Ridgeway at defensive tackle.Linebacker : , , , , Henry To'oTo'o, The linebacker reinforcements the Texans have made this offseason are another sign that the run defense should be improved in 2023. Harris should take a step in Year 2 as a starter. Perryman and Littleton are former Pro Bowlers.Defensive back (9): ., , , , Steven Nelson, , , , There's some uncertainty at cornerback long-term Nelson, 30, is entering a contract year but that should be one of the best position groups on the roster in 2023. Stingley and Pitre should continue to grow in Year 2. Ward is a Jay Bruce Jersey veteran safety that knows Ryans' defensive scheme from their time together in San Francisco.Specialists: Ka'imi Fairbairn 
, (LS), 
, Desmond King II (PR, KR), Tank Dell (PR)The Texans had one of the NFL's best special teams units last season, ranking second in DVOA metric. Houston lost its primary kick returner, , in free agency but Dell should be able to fill that void, and add depth behind King as the punt returner. In 32 games at Houston, Dell returned 17 kicks for 312 yards.The big pictureIt's critical that the Texans are a more competitive team in 2023, a bigger player in the AFC South. General manager Nick Caserio's job status may depend on it.Houston now has elite players or top-three draft picks at every premium position except wide receiver at quarterback (Stroud), left tackle (Tunsil), cornerback (Stingley) and edge rusher (Anderson). Including the aggre sive move for Anderson, the team traded up five times in this year's draft for players they wanted. Every immediate need on the roster has been addre sed, between the draft picks and veterans on short-term deals. After 13 lo ses each of the last two seasons, the Texans have reason to believe they won't be a bottom-dwelling team in the NFL in 2023.Realistically, the Texans are probably still at least a year away from being challenging for the AFC South title, but winning six or seven games is a realistic goal for 2023. Even with Stroud needing time to come into his own, a bolstered run game around Pierce, a strong wide receiver room and an improved defense gives Ryans something to build with.Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tenne sean/USA TODAY Network, Jose Reyes Jersey where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tenne see. You can follow Ben on Twitter at . NFL trending in this topic
