The Houston Texans have a great opportunity in the 2023 NFL Draft as they will have the opportunity to select either C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young – whoever the Carolina Panthers do not select. But head coach DeMeco Ryans is not placing too high of expectations on whoever it is.
During a press conference this week, Ryans said that while he is excited to have the No. 2 overall pick, he’s not asking that player “to be the savior for our team.”
“It’s exciting for us to have the No. 2 pick,” Ryans said in his Tuesday press conference according to Pro Football Talk. “But it’s also, at the same time, there’s no pressure where the young man is picked. I think it’s unfair to ask a guy, just because you’re pick No. 2 overall, you have to come in and you’re the face of our franchise and you’re the leader. That’s unfair to the guy and I’m not going to put that type of weight on the shoulders of whoever it is that we pick. That’s not what we’re anticipating. That’s not what we’re expecting him to do.
“We’re expecting him to come in, be a great teammate, work hard, be deliberate in what you’re doing, and have a mindset to get better each and every day. That’s the mindset no matter if it’s pick [No.] 2 or the last pick of the draft. It really doesn’t matter when you get picked. Leaders, those guys will grow based on our team. And each team is different. We have leaders in our locker room already. So, I’m not asking a guy to come in and be the savior for our team. I’m asking a guy to come in and put his head down and just work.”
We’ll have to see which player the Texans ultimately select and how they perform with the team.
