Texans’ CJ Stroud ‘very excited’ to have full offseason to ‘really improve’

A year removed from the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is happy the process is behind him.

“I’m coming to the same offense, and I can slow down and really get better at what we’re trying to do next year,” Stroud told reporters Friday. “So I’m very excited for that.”

Stroud spent much of his offseason a year ago preparing for the NFL draft. He practiced for the combine, Ohio State’s pro day and met with several teams before being placed behind Bryce Young in the draft.

“I was meeting with each team, going through offense after offense, meeting with a new coordinator, meeting with a new head coach the next week, and then I finally got here and everything came together,” Stroud said.

Instead of spending months preparing for the draft, Stroud had months to learn more of Houston’s offense and practice with his teammates behind the scenes. He’s already spent time with new teammate Stefon Diggs after his trade to the Buffalo Bills, and Stroud said he’s working on developing his voice as a leader.

“I’m the leader of the entire offense, and really the team, so even the things that DeMeco said just to build those foundations and fundamentals and do the right things,” Stroud said.

Stroud had 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions during his rookie season. He led the Texans to a surprise run to the AFC divisional round and will enter 2024 with even greater expectations.

Houston acquired Diggs and running back Joe Mixon in trades to bolster its offense around its burgeoning star quarterback. If Stroud makes a jump as a sophomore, there’s no reason to believe the Texans will be anywhere near a Super Bowl contender.