Not only did the Houston Texans use their No. 2 overall pick on quarterback prospect C.J. Stroud — they also took his advice on one of their other 2023 draft picks.
After he was selected on Draft Night, Stroud immediately told the Texans front office that he wanted them to draft Houston wide receiver Tank Dell.
The Texans selected Dell with their third-round pick.
CJ Stroud and Tank Dell’s relationship goes back to the NFL combine.
⁰After Stroud was drafted by the Texans, he told the front office he wanted the Houston Cougar wide receiver and they delivered:@Tankdell4 | @CJ7STROUD pic.twitter.com/zqscFluXkc— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) May 2, 2023
Stroud and Dell met at the 2023 NFL Combine and developed a solid relationship. Dell said Stroud liked the way he ran routes, and asked the Ohio State QB to vouch for him in this year’s draft.
“Tell them to come get me,” Dell told Stroud after he was drafted at No. 2. “… He was like ‘I got you.'”
The Texans didn’t just select Dell with their third-round pick, they traded up to No. 69 overall in order to welcome him to the team — keeping him in Houston for the start of his NFL career.