The Houston Texans have their receiving corps set for the 2022 season with Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, and Chris Conley. However, the club needs to keep their eyes on the future of the position.
As Cooks and Conley both approach their thirties, even their best attribute in speed will slow down. Houston has to look elsewhere for speedier options downfield.
According to Bryant Horn from Pro Football Focus, one 2022 NFL draft prospect that offers value as a deep threat is former Alabama wideout Jameson Williams.
Speed. But it’s not just speed — he’s shifty, as well, which is a deadly combination when it comes to getting open.
Last season, his 37 downfield catches (from passes thrown at least 10 yards downfield) with a step or more of separation ranked third in the nation, while his 1,223 yards from those catches was over 200 more than the next-closest pass-catcher.
The speed-shiftiness combination allows him to dominate on deep routes — corners, posts, go-routes, back-shoulders and deep crossing routes — especially compared to former Alabama stars.
Williams received a 90.9 receiving grade on these deep routes last year. His 41.5 yards per reception and 8.94 yards per route run on these routes both rank first among all Alabama pass-catchers going back to 2014. Even more impressive is that he found the end zone on 27% of his deep-route targets.
Quarterback Davis Mills proved last season that he has the arm to get the ball downfield when given the opportunity. If Mills is going to be the Texans’ option under center for the foreseeable future, it would behoove the offense to surround him with speedy targets who can stretch the field.
The Texans have other needs to address with their two first-round picks and even their second-rounder at No. 37 overall. However, Williams would be a decent receiver for Houston to consider in the third round or later.