NFL rumors: C.J. Stroud started calling shots immediately during draft

After getting drafted by the Houston Texans, quarterback C.J. Stroud let the team know that he wanted them to select one player in particular.

The Houston Texans held the second-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but there was no specific idea as to what they would do with it. Despite all the talk of potentially drafting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis or Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson, the Texans selected Ohio State signal caller C.J. Stroud. The Texans were not deterred by alleged S2 cognition scores and used it on Stroud, who possesses incredible throw power and accuracy. In case you were wondering if the Texans really believe in Stroud to be the face of the franchise, the answer is apparently yes.

In the third round of the draft, the Texans selected Houston Cougars wide receiver Tank Dell. According to Dell, he texted Stroud after he was selected second overall and said “tell them to come get me,” and the new quarterback delivered, letting the franchise know that he wanted him.

Dell’s comments come courtesy of Chancellor Johnson of KPRC2.

Tank Dell says C.J. Stroud told Texans to draft him

"“After he got drafted, I sent him congrats and I told him, ‘Tell them come get me.’ He was like, ‘I got you. Trust me,'” said Dell, h/t Pro Football Talk. “The next day, he FaceTimed me out of nowhere. I texted him and he FaceTimed me, and he was like, ‘I told them I want you.’ So I was like, OK, it could happen. And then I got that call.”"

Dell and Stroud got to know one another during the NFL Scouting Combine. As Dell said in the video above, Stroud was impressed with him. Over a month later, the two are now teammates and have the potential to develop on-field chemistry to begin their careers.

This isn’t the first time that Dell had made a push to play for the Texans. He even sent a direct message to the team’s Instagram account this past December, which read “don’t let me leave the city.”

At 5-foot-8 and weighing 165 pounds, Dell is a fast, excellent route runner who put up ridiculous numbers at Houston. This past season, Dell caught 108-of-152 targets for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Overall, Dell logged 228 receptions for 3,155 yards and 32 touchdowns in his three years with the program.

Dell now joins a wide receiver corps containing Robert Woods, John Metchie III and Nico Collins to help out Stroud. The Texans have promise, but will they have immediate success?