Tag: Juice Scruggs

Texans C Juice Scruggs working with C.J. Stroud to forge chemistry

Houston Texans rookie center Juice Scruggs is looking to develop chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The Houston Texans are banking much of their fate in 2023 on the development of rookies.

Second-round center Juice Scruggs is aware of the onus laid upon the 2023 draft class, and spent rookie minicamp developing a relationship with first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud.

What helps with Scruggs and Stroud’s connection is their time in the Big Ten Conference. Penn State, Scruggs’ alma mater, faced Stroud and Ohio State on an annual basis.

“We had some crazy battles with Ohio State,” Scruggs told reporters May 13. “Just being able to meet him, how humble he is and how passionate he is about this game, excited to work with him and just get to go know him.”

While there has been lip service from coach DeMeco Ryans, general manager Nick Caserio, and even chairman and CEO Cal McNair that Stroud will have to earn his way into the starting job, the reality is the battle won’t be hard fought. Stroud will compete against 12-year Case Keenum and third-year Davis Mills. There was a reason Houston picked Stroud No. 2 overall.

For Scruggs, getting onto the field may be a bit more challenging. Houston already has veterans Jimmy Morrissey, Michael Deiter, and Scott Quessenberry vying for the center job. The Texans also drafted Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson in the sixth round.

The key to being the center is forming cohesion with Stroud.

Said Scruggs: “Just trying to build the relationship and get the chemistry going. What I thought about him in college, I thought he was the best quarterback in the country for sure.”

The last time the Texans had a rookie quarterback and rookie center start in a game was 2021, which was the epitome of a rebuilding season. Houston may not use such an inexperienced duo unless it shows the best potential to upgrade the offense.

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Texans sign C Juice Scruggs to rookie contract

The Houston Texans have signed second-round center Juice Scruggs to a standard rookie contract.

The Houston Texans have signed another member of their nine-player draft class to the 90-man offseason roster.

The Texans announced Monday they have signed second-round center Juice Scruggs. The standard rookie contract that Scruggs signed is good for four years.

Houston picked Scruggs No. 62 overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. The former Penn State product has the ability to play center and also guard for the Texans.

Scruggs told reporters May 13 his biggest focus throughout rookie minicamp was to implement the techniques from offensive line coach Chris Strausser.

“Just coming out here, trying to learn the scheme, get in the playbook as much as possible, and really just taking Coach Strausser coaching and just trying to implement his technique and fundamentals and just trying to really understand the basics and go from there,” Scruggs said.

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C Juice Scruggs realizes significance of Texans trading up in draft

Juice Scruggs is aware of the significance in the Houston Texans trading up to draft him, and the rookie center seeks to reward their faith.

HOUSTON — For the young men waiting to hear which NFL team will call their name during the draft, life can be a little difficult when you are dealing with the anxiety and apprehension that goes along with it.

Former Penn State offensive lineman Frederick “Juice” Scruggs’s anxiousness, heightened when he received a call from the Houston Texans that the team would select him in the second round.

The Texans sent three later picks to the Philadelphia Eagles and were able to get back into the second round after including the 33rd pick in a package deal to the Arizona Cardinals to select Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. third overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

“The draft process is nerve-wracking as it is,” Scruggs told the media at the conclusion of the Texans rookie minicamp. “Once I got the call and they said they were trading up, my heart was jumping, not going to lie. All I heard was my heartbeat when they said Houston Texans are coming to get you.

“My heart was just jumping. It was crazy. I really didn’t think about it, and then my brothers were like, ‘They just traded up to get you. That’s a really big deal.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do it, man, I’m excited.’”

Scruggs was projected to be a mid-to-late-round pick due to some concerns about him being fully recovered from a severe car accident he was involved in back in 2019, where he fractured his L3 vertebrae and suffered a concussion.

He was confined to a back brace for eight months and could not compete for an entire season. Scruggs battled back from the horrific injury to be named a team captain for the Nittany Lions and was selected to the 2022 All-Big Ten Third Team.

Although he has spent time playing the guard and center positions on the offensive line, Scruggs wants an opportunity to compete and be used wherever the team needs him.

Houston has tentative plans to play him at center but could also use him at either guard position if an injury was to occur to second-year player Kenyon Green or veteran Shaq Mason. Scruggs has appreciated the family-oriented type atmosphere provided by the Texans, with players such as Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard reaching out to him after he was drafted.

He also has been impressed by first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans who gives off similar vibes as his former head coach at Penn State, James Franklin.

“Yeah, you can definitely see it,” said Scruggs about the two coaches. “They’re definitely family oriented, always talk about putting the team first. I’m just excited to get to work with him (Ryans) because you can just tell he brings energy to any room he’s in. And when you got a head coach that brings the energy, it’s easy to bring the energy. I’m just excited to play for him.”

Overcoming adversity is something that Scruggs has learned to deal with in life, from being involved in a horrific car accident that could have cost him his life to recovering and fulfilling his dream to play in the NFL.

As he prepares for Texans training camp this summer, Scruggs knows that there will be plenty of challenges that he will face, such as learning the playbook and adjusting to the speed of the game on the professional level.

Yet, his most significant adjustment will be dealing with the heat and humidity in Houston, in which he got a small sample size during his rookie minicamp at Methodist Training Center.

“I would just say the weather here is definitely different for me,” Scruggs said with a smile. “Penn State, you know, we don’t get hot that much, and I heard this isn’t even hot. Yeah, so that’s definitely going to be the biggest challenge for me.”

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C Juice Scruggs considered the Texans’ ‘biggest reach’ in 2023 NFL draft

Second-round center Juice Scruggs is considered the Houston Texans’ “biggest reach,” according to Pro Football Focus.

The Houston Texans rattled the drafniks with their selection of center Juice Scruggs No. 62 overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to Gordon McGuinness from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ taking the Penn State offensive lineman was considered the team’s biggest reach of the draft.

We had Scruggs as a mid-round prospect, with him coming off a 71.5 PFF grade in his lone full season at center in college. Using the 62nd overall pick on him very possibly means he will start in 2023, so we may learn quickly just how much of a reach this really was.

Scruggs was also the Texans’ “most questionable pick” by another outlet.

The Texans needed help at center. Mock drafts that were going as far as three rounds had the Texans using a pick on Ohio State’s Luke Wypler, who came in at No. 54 on PFF’s big board. In reality, NFL teams were comfortable picking anybody ahead of Wypler. Presuming the Texans blew it with Scruggs, why then did Washington, New England, and Seattle all take centers all presumably lower than the 54th-best prospect in the draft — according to PFF’s big board?

Maybe there needs to be a new rubric.

What may actually be puzzling about the Scruggs selection is something that has nothing to do with the player himself. In the sixth round, Houston used a pick on another center prospect in Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson. The Texans will have two rookies going against three veterans — Michael Deiter, Scott Quessenberry, and Jimmy Morrissey — for the starting center job.

General manager Nick Caserio indicated on April 28 after the second day of the draft that one of the reasons they grabbed Scruggs was for his possible position flexbility.

“I think in Juice’s case, it’s probably more center than guard, but if he had to go there and play guard, looks like he’d be competitive,” said Caserio.

Houston has key pieces on the offensive line with Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green, Shaq Mason, and Tytus Howard. If the Texans can get center on point, they should have adequate pass protection and run blocking.

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C Juice Scruggs regarded as Texans’ ‘most questionable’ 2023 draft pick

Former Penn State center Juice Scruggs is CBS Sports’ candidate for the Houston Texans’ “most questionable” pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

No team nails every pick in the draft. Even Nick Caserio says making a pick is a 50-50 proposition.

As such, it is only natural to conclude the Houston Texans had a selection that was entirely head-scratching to everyone outside the organization.

According to Josh Edwards from CBS Sports, the Texans’ “most questionable” pick from the three-day event at the end of April was the selection of former Penn State center Juice Scruggs.

The Texans have had a clear objective over the past two years. They locked up offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, then drafted edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., offensive guard Kenyon Green and Scruggs. It is obvious that they are placing an emphasis on getting more physical at the point of contact so it is easily understood why they were drawn to adding an interior lineman. However, Scruggs was lower on my personal board. 

There were other aspects of the Scruggs selection that would have qualified as questionable more so than their rank on a draft analyst’s big board.

Firstly, the Texans did not possess a Round 2 selection to start Day 2 thanks to the trade with the Arizona Cardinals to take Anderson. Houston traded up to take Scruggs No. 62 overall because they wanted a younger option to compete with veterans Michael Deiter, Jimmy Morrissey, and Scott Quessenberry.

Secondly, even though the Texans already made a move to shore up their center position, and complimented Scruggs for his position flex along the interior, Houston went ahead and essentially duplicated the pick in Round 6 at No. 201 overall with the Jarrett Patterson selection. The 6-5, 306-pounder played center at Notre Dame.

Center was a position the Texans needed to address in the draft. Their redundant methods may be more questionable than the actual picks.

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Texans earn B grade from Mel Kiper following 2023 NFL draft

The Houston Texans earned a B grade from Mel Kiper following the 2023 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans produced a nine-player class following the 2023 NFL draft.

The Texans used their 12 selections entering the three-day event to build packages to move up, move back, borrow from the future, give back to the future, and otherwise allow general manager Nick Caserio to wheel and deal to cultivate a group of rookies who could put the final touches on the rebuild.

According to Mel Kiper from ESPN, the Texans earned a B for their class. There was some praise given for selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, but there was also some skepticism about giving up so much draft capital to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.

The first round wasn’t the only area where Kiper thought the Texans reached. Taking Penn State center Juice Scruggs in Round 2 was also puzzling to Kiper.

On Day 2, Houston reached significantly — and traded up to do so — for center Juice Scruggs, though I’m a fan of wideout/returner Tank Dell and what he could bring to this offseason. Give Dell the ball in space and let him score touchdowns. On Day 3, Houston added back a 2024 third-rounder in a deal with Philadelphia, which was a nice move. I also think linebacker Henry To’oTo’o (167) and wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson (205) could be solid finds.

This is another class that will hinge on what happens with the quarterback. And though I didn’t love giving up the future draft capital, I do think Anderson has All-Pro potential. That’s why I’ll leave this as a B.

If Anderson at all lives up to his All-Pro potential while Stroud meets expectations as quarterback, Caserio and the Texans will earn laudatory remarks for taking a huge chance to upgrade the defense.

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Penn State football 2023 NFL draft player tracker

Penn State sends three players through the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, including back-to-back picks.

Penn State is looking to send a good handful of players off to the NFL in the 2023 NFL draft. A year after a busy 2022 NFL draft, Penn State will be adding to the growing list of draft picks coached by James Franklin.

Penn State is one of the schools known for producing a good amount of NFL talent and although the Nittany Lions may not have the most first-round picks or the most picks overall, odds are a good quality NFL roster is going to include a Penn State player or two on it. And with any luck, a future Super Bowl champion will be using a draft pick in 2023 to select a player from Happy Valley.

Here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the 2023 NFL draft.

Texans GM Nick Caserio says competition will ‘sort out’ where C Juice Scruggs fits

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio says that competition will help determine where second-round C Juice Scruggs fits on the OL.

The Houston Texans selected Penn State center Juice Scruggs No. 62 overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft Friday night.

The Texans already have three offensive linemen on the roster with center experience in Michael Deiter, Jimmy Morrissey, and Scott Quessenberry, who started 16 games for Houston last season.

General manager Nick Caserio pointed out that while Scruggs may be a second-round selection, the competition throughout the offseason program and training camp will clarify just where he can help the team.

“The competition is going to sort itself out about how he fits,” Caserio said. “I would say in his particular case he has some flexibility, probably more than just a center.”

The Texans have two guard spots locked down with Shaq Mason and Kenyon Green. Center is the question mark. However, versatility will be key for any reserve offensive lineman, including Scruggs.

“When you look at overall positional value and what they provide, that’s part of the overall evaluation,” Caserio said. “I think in Juice’s case, it’s probably more center than guard, but if he had to go there and play guard, looks like he’d be competitive. Other than having your hand on the ball, it’s some of the same things that are going to go on inside. The more you can maybe identify guys and have position inside versatility, it’s going to enhance the value of the group and in turn enhance the value of the team.”

The last time the Texans had a rookie play center was in 2021 with Morrissey, who was snapping to rookie quarterback Davis Mills. Houston could see a similar rookie tandem if Scruggs wins the starting job and first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud wins the starting quarterback role.

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WATCH: Juice Scruggs reacts to being picked by Texans

Take a listen to Juice Scruggs’ reaction when the Houston Texans called him to announce they were going to take him in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans released video from their draft call with second-round center Juice Scruggs.

The Texans traded into the second round to take Scruggs despite not having a pick. Houston valued the Penn State center that much.

“Hey, Juice, it’s Nick Caserio. How are you doing, bud?”

“I’m great, man,” Scruggs said. “How are you doing?”

“Congratulations,” Caserio replied. “We’re turning the pick in and making you a Houston Texan.”

“I appreciate it, I appreciate it,” Scruggs said.

Scruggs, who earned third-team All-Big Ten last year, will be going against veteran centers that include Scott Quessenberry, Michael Deiter, and Jimmy Morrissey.

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Twitter reacts to Ji’Ayir Brown being picked by the 49ers

Check out Twitter’s reaction to the 49ers taking Ji’Ayir Brown with their third round pick

Ji’Ayir Brown was one of the most coveted Penn State players coming into the NFL Draft this season. Many analysts and scouts had him rated as one of the top safeties in the draft. With that said, it’s surprising to some that he fell to the third round.

It was rumored that Brown would be a second round draft pick and the second Penn State player taken after [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] That was not the case on Friday when Brown saw his college teammates [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag] and [autotag]Juice Scruggs[/autotag] get selected in the second round ahead of him.

Regardless, in the NFL Draft, it’s more about the fit than anything else. Landing on the San Francisco 49ers is a great spot for Brown to go to. They are an aggressive style of defense that should allow him to play downhill like he did while at Penn State.

Here is the Twitter reaction after the 49ers selected Brown with their third round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.