Texture is important to have in all sketches because it adds character into anything and can bring out a lot of details that make each sketch alot more interesting.
The importance of having more than one reference to a sketch is that with several sketches you can see what is different between each one, and you can use them to compare each other and find the better one. Also, another advantage is that it gives you more choices and you can changes things in each sketch as you go.
Whichever sketch has more lines or covers more white of the page is the better choice. It will always turn out more detailed and complex.
