Preview: Texans QB C.J. Stroud Makes Preseason Debut vs. Patriots

Can Houston Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud live up to the hype in his preseason debut?

The Houston Texans and New England Patriots franchises have had very different outcomes in the last decade or so, but there seems to be a consensus among the NFL community that neither of them are the best in their respective divisions.

In other words, they both have something to prove this season.

In the home corner for tonight's first preseason bout are the Patriots, a team with young and old talent on both sides of the ball, and a 71-year-old coach named Bill Belichick, who has won six rings since he was hired in 2000.

In the away corner are the Texans, a team that's been at the bottom of the NFL for the last three years and is searching for a new identity. Houston made perhaps the biggest splash this offseason, hiring San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their next head coach. This is the 39-year-old's first stint at the position, but he was a linebacker for Houston from 2006-2011.

Both teams hit a potential jackpot in the NFL Draft as the Patriots selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th overall pick, despite analysts assuming he'd go much earlier. 

The Texans were the hot topic that night, as they took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud second overall, but traded up for the very next pick and selected Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

The pressure of being a first-round pick is something that not many of the 30-or-so players can handle. It may dawn on them early in the regular season.

The preseason is a test for those players and all other rookies and sophomores to get their feet wet before they dive into the deep end that is the regular season. However, Ryans wants Stroud to let the water hit his shoulders tonight.

"From C.J. in this game, I just want to see a guy come out and command the huddle and command the offense," Ryans said. "Get us lined up, get everybody on the same page, and operate efficiently."

Stroud is expected to start tonight, but it is uncertain how long he, Anderson, Gonzalez, and all other likely regular-season starters will play.

Although this game doesn't count for anything, we'll get a taste of the potential future these rookies and Ryans may hold.

The Texans will face the Patriots tonight at 6 p.m. CT on NFL Network/KTRK-ABC 13/ FuboTV.

---

You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver

Want the latest in breaking and insider news for the Houston Texans? Click Here

Follow Texans Daily on Twitter and Facebook

Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @LockedOnTexans today! Click here To Listen.

Want even more Houston Texans news? Check out the SI.com team page here.