With just over a week remaining until the 2023 NFL Draft, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the popular choice for Houston at 12th overall.
The Texans own a pair of first-rounders--second and 12th--as part of their 12 selections in this year's NFL Draft. They obtained the 12th pick from the Cleveland Browns in a trade last spring.
Smith-Njigba, who led the Buckeyes with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine scores in 2021, was mocked to Houston by 25 of the 53 (47.2%) experts surveyed in the latest round of mock drafts.
He was also the most-mocked player to Houston in the last Mock Draft Roundup. In yesterday's Mock Draft Roundup for the second overall choice, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young edged Smith-Njigba's college teammate, quarterback C.J. Stroud.
After Smith-Njigba, Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness was the next most-popular choice for Houston at 12. Van Ness was mocked to the Texans by eight different experts. Right behind him in seven mock drafts was Clemson defensive lineman Myles Murphy.
In all, 55.6 percent of the most recently-released mock drafts in this survey projected the Texans to take a receiver 12th overall. More than a third (34%) had Houston selecting a defensive lineman.
The NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 27 in Kansas City.
| MOCK DRAFT | TEXANS SELECTION |
|---|---|
| 1. CBS SPORTS (RYAN WILSON) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 2. WALTER FOOTBALL (CHARLIE CAMPBELL) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 3. CBS SPORTS (CHRIS TRAPASSO) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 4. DRAFT COUNTDOWN (SHANE HALLAM) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 5. CHICAGO TRIBUNE (BRAD BIGGS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 6. CBS SPORTS (JARED DUBIN) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 7. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (CAM MELLOR) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 8. NFL.COM (CHARLES DAVIS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 9. BLEACHER REPORT (SCOUTING DEPARTMENT) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 10. FANTASY PROS (MATTHEW FREEDMAN) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 11. ESPN (MEL KIPER, JR) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 12. 33RD TEAM (SCOUTING DEPARTMENT) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 13. FOX SPORTS (JOEL KLATT) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 14. CBS SPORTS (WILL BRINSON) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 15. WALTER FOOTBALL (WALTER CHEREPINSKY) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 16. FOOTBALL FOCUS (SAM MONSON) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 17. SHARP FOOTBALL ANALYSIS (RYAN MCCHRISTAL) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 18. CBS SPORTS (TOM FORNELLI) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 19. LOS ANGELES TIMES (SAM FARMER) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 20. FOX SPORTS (JASON MCINTYRE) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 21. ESPN (JORDAN REID) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 22. NFL.COM (BUCKY BROOKS) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 23. PRO FOOTBAL FOCUS (BRAD SPIELBERGER) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 24. THE RINGER (DANNY KELLY) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 25. ATHLON SPORTS (LUKE EASTERLING) | WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (JOSH EDWARDS) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 2. NFL.COM (RHETT LEWIS) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 3. USA TODAY (NATE DAVIS | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 4. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (JONATHAN ALEXANDER) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 5. FANTASY PROS (THOR NYSTROM) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 6. HOUSTON CHRONICLE (BROOKS KUBENA) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 7. NFL.COM (ERIC EDHOLM) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 8. NEW YORK POST (STEVE SERBY) | DL LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA |
| 1. HOUSTONTEXANS.COM/FOOTBALLTAKEOVER.COM (JOHN HARRIS) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 2. THE ATHLETIC (DANE BRUGLER) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 3. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (TONY PAULINE) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 4. PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (IAN CUMMINGS) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 5. SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK (HUB ARKUSH) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 6. NFL.COM (CYNTHIA FRELUND) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 7. NFL.COM (DANIEL JEREMIAH) | DL MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (PETE PRISCO) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 2. USA TODAY (DOUG FARRAR) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 3. THE ATHLETIC (BRUCE FELDMAN) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 4. ESPN (MIKE TANNENBAUM) | WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU |
| 1. NFL.COM (PETER SCHRAGER) | QB WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY |
| 2. USA TODAY (JEFF RISDON) | QB WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY |
| 3. NFL.COM (LANCE ZIERLEIN) | QB WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY |
| 1. ESPN (TODD MCSHAY) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 2. ESPN (MATT MILLER) | DL NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA |
| 1. 247 SPORTS (BLAKE BROCKERMEYER) | OL PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN |
| 2. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (TREVOR SIKKEMA) | OL PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN |
| 1. CBS SPORTS (KYLE STACKPOLE) | CB DEVON WITHERSPOON, ILLINOIS |
| 2. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS (MIKE RENNER) | CB DEVON WITHERSPOON, ILLINOIS |
| GALLERYSPORTS.COM (JOHN MCCLAIN) | QB HENDON HOOKER, TENNESSEE |
| THE SPORTING NEWS (VINNIE IYER) | WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC |
| NFL.COM (CHAD REUTER) | RB BIJAN ROBINSON, TEXAS |
| NFL.COM (ADAM RANK) | DL KEION WHITE, GEORGIA TECH |
