'Keep Growing!' C.J. Stroud and Texans Offensive Line Will Be Better

Living up to the hype of the second overall pick in the NFL Draft can be tough.

Living up to the hype of the second overall pick in the NFL Draft can be tough. When you're drafted that high, you go to a team in need of many things, sometimes the least of which is a quarterback. That's the situation Texans' rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud walked into this offseason.

On Sunday in Baltimore, Stroud held his own in a hostile environment. Against a potent pass rush by the Ravens, Stroud completed 28-of-44 passes for 242 yards and no touchdowns. But more importantly, no interceptions. Stroud didn't make many rookie mistakes - because he had time to think.

“I feel like, of course, it wasn’t what we wanted,” Stroud said after the game. “I’ve got to be better overall, make more plays, and protect the football. I’ve got to be better in the huddle and things like that. I had some positive things but I’ve got to keep growing from here and keep getting better.”

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Stroud was sacked five times for 46 yards, so there are still things to figure out within the Texans' offense, but for a first act, it looked good. Sunday, Stroud did what all good quarterbacks do - found a hot hand and stayed with it. Against the Ravens, that hot hand was receiver Nico Collins. Stroud and Collins connected eight times for 80 yards, and Collins proved to be a safety outlet for Stroud.

Houston general manager Nick Caserio knew the importance of protecting the team's investment at quarterback and paid special attention to improving the offensive line in recent months.

In March, Caserio traded for Bucs right guard Shaq Mason, then extended left tackle Laremy Tunsil, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. A month later, Caserio moved up in the 2023 NFL Draft to take Penn State center Juice Scruggs.

“If you want to be a great offense, you got to have a great protector at the left tackle position," coach DeMeco Ryans said, “and that's what Laremy provides for us."

But Caserio wasn't done yet. In the month following the draft, Caserio extended Mason and right tackle Tytus Howerd.