There's a new favorite for the Texans at 12 overall.
A new crop of mock drafts were recently released, and nearly a third of them predicted the Texans would use the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The wide receiver was tabbed to Houston in 14 of 47 (29.8%) mock drafts. Last season he appeared in just three games because of injury, but in 2021 he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.
Just behind Smith-Njigba was TCU pass-catcher Quentin Johnston. He was mocked to the Texans by eight (17%) different experts.
Appearing on seven (14.9%) mock drafts as a Houston pick was Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, while Georgia defensive lineman Nolan Smith was a Texans selection in six different mock drafts.
Overall, wide receiver was the choice in 57.4 percent of the most recent mocks, while a defensive lineman checked in at 36.2 percent.
Houston has 12 picks in this year's NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday, April 27 in Kansas City. Next year, the Texans have 10 picks in the Draft.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was the overwhelming favorite in yesterday's Mock Draft Roundup for the second overall pick, appearing in more than 70 percent of the mocks.
| MOCK DRAFT | TEXANS SELECTION |
|---|---|
| 1. LOS ANGELES TIMES (SAM FARMER) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 2. SHARP FOOTBALL ANALYSIS (RYAN MCCHRISTAL) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 3. FOX SPORTS (JASON MCINTYRE) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 4. DRAFT COUNTDOWN (SHANE HALLAM) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 5. CBS SPORTS (RYAN WILSON) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 6. ESPN (JORDAN REID) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 7. WALTER FOOTBALL (WALTER CHEREPINSKY) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 8. CBS SPORTS (TOM FORNELLI) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 9. NFL.COM (BUCKY BROOKS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 10. PRO FOOTBAL FOCUS (BRAD SPIELBERGER) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 11. NFL.COM (CHARLES DAVIS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 12. THE RINGER (DANNY KELLY) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 13. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (JONATHAN ALEXANDER) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 14. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (IAN CUMMINGS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 1. THE ATHLETIC (BRUCE FELDMAN) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 2. 33RD TEAM (SCOUTING DEPARTMENT) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 3. WALTER FOOTBALL (CHARLIE CAMPBELL) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 4. USA TODAY (LUKE EASTERLING) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 5. CBS SPORTS (PETE PRISCO) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 6. ESPN (MIKE TANNENBAUM) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 7. ATHLON SPORTS (BRYAN FISCHER) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 8. BLEACHER REPORT (SCOUTING DEPARTMENT) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 1. GALLERYSPORTS.COM (JOHN MCCLAIN) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 2. CBS SPORTS (WILL BRINSON) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 3. NFL.COM (ERIC EDHOLM) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 4. NEW YORK POST (STEVE SERBY) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 5. NFL.COM (LANCE ZIERLEIN) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 6. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (BROOKS KUBENA) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 7. USA TODAY (NATE DAVIS) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 1. ESPN (TODD MCSHAY) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 2. FANTASY PROS (THOR NYSTROM) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 3. USA TODAY (JEFF RISDON) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 4. ESPN (MEL KIPER, JR) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 5. ESPN (MATT MILLER) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 6. THE ATHLETIC (DANE BRUGLER) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (CHRIS TRAPASSO) | WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC |
| 2. SPORTING NEWS (VINNIE IYER) | WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC |
| 3. NFL.COM (CHAD REUTER) | WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC |
| 4. USA TODAY (DOUG FARRAR) | WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (JOSH EDWARDS) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 2. NFL.COM (CYNTHIA FRELUND) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 3. NFL.COM (DANIEL JEREMIAH) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 1. 247 SPORTS (BLAKE BROCKERMEYER) | OL PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN |
| 2. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (TREVOR SIKKEMA) | OL PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN |
| 1. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (MIKE RENNER) | CB DEVON WITHERSPOON, ILLINOIS |
| 2. CBS SPORTS (KYLE STACKPOLE) | CB DEVON WITHERSPOON, ILLINOIS |
| 1. HOUSTONTEXANS.COM/FOOTBALLTAKEOVER.COM (JOHN HARRIS) | WR JALIN HYATT, TENNESSEE |
