Texans Acquire No. 3 Pick in Blockbuster Trade With Cardinals

Houston took a big swing with two picks in the top three.

After missing the postseason for the third consecutive year, the Texans found their quarterback of the future by selecting C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick on Thursday night. It didn’t take long for them to find their next building block.

Immediately after grabbing Stroud, Houston traded up for the No. 3 pick from the Cardinals, using the pick to select Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr.

In exchange, Arizona received picks Nos. 12 and 33 in this year’s draft, along with a 2024 first-round pick and third-round pick. Houston also received pick No. 105 in this year’s draft, per Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer.

Houston went 3-13-1 last season, and has put up a combined 11-38-1 record over the past three years. The team fired head coach Lovie Smith after just one season, and replaced him with DeMeco Ryans, who had spent the past two years as the defensive coordinator for the 49ers and spent six years as a linebacker for the Texans from 2006 to ’11.

The Cardinals held possession of the No. 3 pick after posting a 4–13 record in 2022, good for their third last-place NFC West finish in five years. Arizona fired coach Kliff Kingsbury after the season, and replaced him with former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

• Follow all the picks with Sports Illustrated’s draft tracker
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