Tag: Juice Scruggs

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.

Twitter reacts to Juice Scruggs being drafted by the Texans

Check out Twitter’s reaction to the Houston Texans taking Juice Scruggs in the second round

[autotag]Juice Scruggs[/autotag] was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This might have been the most surprising pick of the draft for Penn State prospects considering that he was the third Nittany Lion off the board.

Scruggs was a classic case of a prospect that a team fell in love with. The versatility of him able to play multiple positions across the offensive line could have helped his rise in the draft. The Texans are thin on their line and definitely need a versatile lineman who can become a starting player.

The reason why this might be the most surprising of all Penn State prospects is because at the beginning of the process it was looking like Scruggs would be a backend pick of this year’s draft. After the Penn State pro day however, there were rumors he would go much higher than originally anticipated.

Here are the Twitter reactions to Juice Scruggs being selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the NFL Draft.

What draft picks did the Texans give up from Nick Caserio’s Day 2 trades?

Here is a look at the picks Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio traded on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.

Anyone paying actual attention to the Houston Texans — readers of this site — understood the team wouldn’t exactly use all 12 picks ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

General manager Nick Caserio has shown a propensity to build packages from picks to take players, and even hinted as much in Thursday night’s presser.

Houston started out with Nos. 65 and 73 overall, both in Round 3.

The Texans packaged Nos. 65, 188 (Round 6), and 230 (Round 7) overall to the Philadelphia Eagles to take center Juice Scruggs with the second-to-last pick of Round 2.

Houston then packaged No. 73 along with No. 161 in Round 5 to move up to take receiver Tank Dell at No. 69 overall in Round 3.

The relatively modest compensation still left Houston with the same number of picks, though they lost nearly a full round of positions later in the draft. Nonetheless, the selection of Dell with the 69th pick should prove to be a boon for the team’s rebuilding offense, which will gain a homegrown legend who played for the Houston Cougars.

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WATCH: Brian Cushing introduces Texans’ selection of C Juice Scruggs

Former linebacker Brian Cushing announced the Houston Texans’ Round 2 selection of former Penn State center Juice Scruggs at the 2023 NFL draft.

Former Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing was on hand Friday night to announce the Houston Texans’ second-round selection of former Penn State center Juice Scruggs.

Cushing, who played for Houston from 2009-17, took to the podium at Union Station in Kansas City to read the selection.

“Kansas City, how are we doing?” Cushing said. “Houston Texans are making moves. The Philadelphia Eagles have traded the 62nd pick to the Houston Texans. And with the 62nd pick of the 2023 NFL draft, the Houston Texans select Juice Scruggs, center, Penn State. Go Texas.”

Cushing, a former first-round pick from USC, won the 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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WATCH: Best Penn State highlights from Texans C Juice Scruggs

Here are some of the best highlights from new Houston Texans center Juice Scruggs as he completed his career with Penn State.

Juice Scruggs will be in for a battle when he gets to the Houston Texans.

The AFC South club already has three veterans on the roster with center experience in Scott Quessenberry, who started 16 games last season, Michael Deiter, and Jimmy Morrissey.

Scruggs will have to earn his playing time for sure.

The Texans see potential in Scruggs, which is why general manager Nick Caserio traded up to take the former Penn State product. Scruggs is a physical blocker who can play multiple spots up front and could project as a guard or center moving forward, depending on where Houston wants to improve next season.

His highlight reel from Penn State warranted his selection as a Day 2 prospect who should contribute to the Texans’ rebuild in year one. Check out his best plays below to get acquainted with his game:

Penn State’s OL Juice Scruggs goes in second round to Houston Texans

Penn State center Juice Scruggs sneaks into the end of the second round of the NFL draft.

The Houston Texans made some big moves at the start of the draft by selecting a franchise quarterback in Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and immediately boosting its defense with Alabama’s Will Anderson. On Friday, as the second round came to a close, the Texans made another move to add an offensive lineman to their roster that could be a foundational piece to protect its newly minted franchise quarterback, and that piece comes from Penn State.

Penn State center [autotag]Juice Scruggs[/autotag] was drafted by the Texans with the 31st pick of the second round, and 62nd overall. Scruggs was a surprise pick this early in the draft by many. Heading into the draft, it was expected by many that Scruggs would be a day three pick, yet he snuck into the backend of the second round.

Scruggs was an all-Big Ten third team selection by Big Ten coaches and an honorable mention by Big Ten media after the 2022 season. He started all 13 games played by Penn State at center last season and was a team captain. There is no doubt the Texans are adding a respected offensive lineman to the roster with the addition of Scruggs, even if draft analysts projected him to be a later round selection.

Scruggs was the third Penn State player drafted in the second round. He joined cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the first pick of the second round of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and tight end Brenton Strange, who went one pick earlier to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Scruggs’ new division rival.

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