No team made a bigger splash in the 2023 NFL Draft than Nick Caserio, DeMeco Ryans and the Texans. Now: How much will the players they took — especially at the top of the draft — help their 2023 outlook?
Houston used its second overall pick to select a franchise QB in the making with Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud. The Texans then traded up to pick again at No. 3, this time to take the top defensive player of the class in Alabama EDGE defender Will Anderson Jr. Those players headline what was graded as the 11th-best draft class this season, per TSN's Vinnie Iyer.
While Stroud and Anderson are meant to be the building blocks for Ryans in his first year, it remains to be seen how competitive Houston can be in 2023. Simply playing in the AFC South— the weakest division in the NFL last year —should give fans hope the franchise can build toward sustainable success in Ryans' first year.
But there's more to Houston's 2023 schedule than divisional matchups. Several games stand out on the schedule, including a road trip to Carolina, where top overall pick Bryce Young will look to take on the No. 2 pick — and his former teammate — in one of the more enticing matchups of the season.
MORE: Watch 2023 NFL games with Fubo (free trial)
Here's everything you need to know about the Texans' 2023 schedule, including projected win-loss totals in Ryans' first year:
Houston Texans schedule 2023
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| 1 | Sept. 10 | at Ravens | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 2 | Sept. 17 | vs. Colts | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 3 | Sept. 24 | at Jaguars | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | vs. Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 8 | at Falcons | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | vs. Saints | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 7 | Oct. 22 | BYE | ||
| 8 | Oct. 29 | at Panthers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 9 | Nov. 5 | vs. Buccaneers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 10 | Nov. 12 | at Bengals | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | vs. Cardinals | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 26 | vs. Jaguars | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 13 | Dec. 3 | vs. Broncos | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | at Jets | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 17 | at Titans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. Browns | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Dec. 31 | vs. Titans | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 18 | Jan. 6/7 | at Colts | TBD | TBD |
Texans strength of schedule
Houston has the sixth-easiest NFL schedule — 27th-hardest — in 2023, per Sharp Football Analysis. Their opponents went a combined 103-133-1 last season (43.4 winning percentage).
Here's a breakdown of how their opponents performed last season:
- 10 teams had a losing record
- Four teams had winning record, only two of which (Bengals, Ravens) had 10 or more wins
- Four teams went to the playoffs
MORE: NFL schedule release 2023: Ranking teams' strength of schedule
Toughest tests: The Bengals have reached the AFC championship game the last two seasons, and the Texans have to take them on in Cincinnati. Then there's the Jets, who went 7-10 last year yet have a new quarterback in Aaron Rodgers to help elevate the offense to match a terrific defense. The Ravens, Steelers and Broncos should all prove to be tough non-divisional defensive tests for Stroud in his rookie season.
Biggest breaks: The AFC South was the weakest of all divisions in the NFL last season, and it's possible both the Colts (Anthony Richardson) and Titans (Will Levis) will be breaking in rookie quarterbacks by the time they play Houston. The Texans also get winnable non-division games against the Cardinals, Panthers and Buccaneers.
Bottom line: It's up to Ryans, Stroud and Co. to prove they can make Houston a winning franchise again. There are opportunities to surprise in 2023, with the AFC South in particular appearing weak outside of Jacksonville. But road trips to take on the Bengals and Jets, among other games, should provide stark reality checks in Houston.
Record prediction: 5-12
