The Houston Texans aren’t giving out starting positions, especially in the midst of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
However, coach Lovie Smith did field questions about former 2021 third-round quarterback Davis Mills when he met with the media on March 2. From what Smith saw as the Texans’ defensive coordinator and associate head coach in 2021, the rookie signal caller demonstrated some traits that are favorable to having a successful stint as Houston’s starting quarterback.
“I got a chance to see Davis in a lot of different situations last year,” Smith said. “Early on, he wasn’t starting, so he worked against the one defense quite a bit. I love his demeanor. He’s a smart guy. He went to Stanford, right? Smart guy. Teammates buy in to him.”
Mills went 2-9 with an 88.8 passer rating. What contributed to the dismal production from Mills was the fact he had to spell Tyrod Taylor as the starter when the former 2015 Pro Bowler sustained a strained hamstring in Week 2. Mills went 0-6 as a starter until Taylor returned.
When Taylor injured his left hand (non-throwing) in Week 13, Mills returned to the lineup and went 2-3 down the final five games with a 102.4 passer rating. Mills even had a 9-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Not only did Smith get to see Mills in practice, but he was able to see other rookie quarterbacks such as Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence (twice), Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance.
Said Smith: “I also got a chance to see a lot of the young quarterbacks in the league play, and I thought Davis played about as as well as most of them.”
What may help Mills secure the starting job in 2022 is the fact Houston promoted quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton to offensive coordinator.
“It was important too of course to keep Pep Hamilton on board, them being able to work together two years in a row,” said Smith. “Again, I’m pumped up that he’ll be leading us and excited about his future.”