Tag: NFL Media

Texans grab Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud in latest NFL.com mock draft

The Houston Texans miss out on Bryce Young but are ready to take C.J. Stroud in the latest NFL.com mock draft from @RhettNFL.

Much of the focus for the 2023 NFL draft has been on the Houston Texans and Bryce Young. For some, the loss of Young, should the Carolina Panthers decide to take the Alabama quarterback No. 1 overall, would signal massive disappointment.

However, the 2023 field features a talented quarterback class. Just because the Texans miss out on Young doesn’t mean the situation is despondent and Houston can’t find premium talent to catapult their passing game back to elite levels.

According to Rhett Lewis from NFL.com, the Texans indeed have no chance to select Young in his latest mock draft as the Panthers pick the former 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. Nevertheless Houston adequately addresses quarterback with their No. 2 overall pick by taking Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

The best pure passer in this draft uses ball placement as his superpower, elevating the skill players around him by allowing them to showcase their talents after the catch. Stroud’s stellar postseason performances at Ohio State give Houston a glimpse of the player he can be when the lights shine brightest, as he’ll be tasked with leading this team back to big-game situations.

Stroud would have a sufficient enough receiving corps to work with, even if the Texans don’t address receiver in the draft. Enter wideouts Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie, Amari Rodgers, and tight end Dalton Schultz as among his top targets.

With the No. 12 overall pick — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — the Texans pass on taking a first-round wideout and instead grab new coach DeMeco Ryans a defensive end to bolster the Texans’ edge defense. While Van Ness may not immediately have the impact Nick Bosa had for the San Francisco 49ers in Ryans’ past two seasons as their defensive coordinator, the former Iowa Hawkeye at least gives Houston an adequate piece to elevate their trench play.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Texans take Georgia Tech DE Keion White in latest NFL.com mock draft

The Houston Texans shore up their defensive line with the selection of Georgia Tech’s Keion White in Round 1 of a new NFL.com mock draft.

Much of the 2023 NFL draft will be about teams struggling whether they should meet a roster need or stick to their board and go with the best player available.

Adam Rank from NFL.com released a mock draft wherein teams make selections according to his opinion. The Texans naturally go with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud to provide an infusion of talent and stability under center after the Carolina Panthers take Alabama’s Bryce Young to start off the draft. The big need is taken care of.

Houston then takes an edge rusher in Georgia Tech’s Keion White to give new coach DeMeco Ryans a weapon on defense.

I know that you could go with a receiver — and if the teams above don’t listen to me and leave Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Jordan Addison available, then you jump at that opportunity. I’m not sure I’d take Quentin Johnston here, however. There seems to be a lot of wide receiver depth, and you can grab a target for your new quarterback at the top of the second round. I’d address defense at this spot. 

The thing I like about White is that he looks like a defensive tackle, plays like an edge rusher and runs like an outside linebacker. He’s a freak athlete who has somehow managed to stay under the radar, mostly because he didn’t play for a college powerhouse. Reminds me a lot of John Franklin-Myers.

Most of Houston’s roster needs are taken care of heading into the draft, and they would knockout two of their in Round 1 with this haul. Even if center is considered an area of concern, the Texans still have three Day 2 selections (No. 33 overall, Round 2; Nos. 65, 73 overall, Round 3) to find a rookie who can compete with veterans Scott Quessenberry and Michael Deiter for the starting job.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Texans’ No. 12 overall pick may come down between receiver and pass rusher

The Houston Texans’ decision at No. 12 overall may come down to whether they want the best receiver or pass rusher for the value.

The Houston Texans are hovering right outside the top-10 with their second Round 1 selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

At No. 12 overall, Houston has a chance to grab a dominant edge rusher to be a feature of new coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense, or they could take a wideout who can pair nicely with their presumed rookie quarterback picked at No. 2 overall.

According to Daniel Jeremiah from NFL.com, the Texans would have the best value on the board regardless of where they went at receiver or pass rusher.

If the Texans were to go with a receiver, the best one on Jeremiah’s big board is USC’s Jordan Addison, ranking at No. 13.

He has excellent play speed and can find another gear when the ball is in the air. He has natural hands and doesn’t need to gather himself before catching the ball on crossers. He can high point the ball when working back to the QB, but has to get stronger on 50/50 balls. After the catch, he has excellent burst and wiggle. Overall, Addison should become a high-volume pass catcher very early in his pro career.

Houston could take Addison and add him among the number of receivers Nico Collins, John Metchie, and tight Dalton Schultz to give their new quarterback suitable targets.

The Texans could wait until Round 2 at No. 33 overall to grab a receiver and choose a defensive end instead at No. 12 overall. The best at that spot would be Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness, who ranks No. 14 on Jeremiah’s big board.

Van Ness is a powerful defensive lineman with the versatility to stand up on the edge or slide inside and play over the guard. He is excellent at collapsing the pocket with his bull rush, getting his hands inside and driving opponents back with ease. He flashes a chop move and a rip move, but needs to develop a more diverse repertoire. Against the run, he has very strong hands to stack blocks on the front side and his effort/speed combination helps him make plays from the back side.

Ultimately, the market on draft day will dictate where the Texans go as the run on quarterbacks and anticipated run on defensive linemen will play a part into where Houston goes when it is their time to pick again.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]

Texans score Bryce Young in NFL.com Cynthia Frelund’s mock draft 2.0

The Houston Texans manage to get the quarterback they wanted in Bryce Young in Cynthia Frelund’s second mock draft for NFL.com.

With the Carolina Panthers picking atop the 2023 NFL draft, it presents trepidation for Houston Texans fans.

The Panthers need a franchise quarterback the same as Houston. Alabama’s Bryce Young has been linked to the Texans ever since the team was 0-3-1, if not further back into last training camp. To miss out on Young would seem to be yet another example of the Texans missing the mark.

According to Cynthia Frelund for NFL.com, the Texans are able to get Young as the Panthers decide on Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud at No. 1 overall.

Young’s Alabama film rates him the best college QB in this class, per computer vision. There is some extra volatility in projecting him to the next level, though. When his feet are set and he’s on platform, he ranks in the top 15 percent of my 10-season sample — and he can get his feet set under duress. However, he had one of the longest times to throw while not under pressure last season (3.02 seconds, per PFF, ranking T-153rd). When you look into why, you’ll see he dropped back farther on average than the rest of the top passers in this class. Looking at QB comps from past drafts, passers who consistently had deep dropbacks have not fared well at the pro level unless their O-line — specifically the tackles — are able to hold off pressure well and recover when a rusher has a great second (or third) effort. Fortunately for Young, landing in Houston means he’ll have the recently extended Laremy Tunsil protecting him for the foreseeable future.

Essentially if Young is protected, he is phenomenal. However, it takes exemplary tackle play as well, and the Texans should be able to count on that with Tunsil at left tackle and former 2019 first-rounder Tytus Howard at right.

Houston finishes the first round with Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy at No. 12 overall. If the Texans wanted to go with a wideout at No. 33 overall in Round 2 in this mock, they would have Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt available.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Texans take C.J. Stroud, Myles Murphy in third Daniel Jeremiah offseason mock draft

The Houston Texans draft their franchise quarterback at No. 2 overall and get Clemson edge defender Myles Murphy in the third Daniel Jeremiah mock.

The Houston Texans have twin first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft. There is optimism about the direction of the franchise. Regardless of what happens with the quarterback picks to start off the draft, the feeling is the Texans will adequately solve their deficiencies under center.

According to Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network, who released his third mock draft of the offseason, the Texans settle on Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud after the Carolina Panthers take Alabama signal caller Bryce Young atop the draft. The DeMeco Ryans era will feature a former Buckeye under center with the No. 2 overall pick.

The Texans have some quality pieces in place on offense (including a franchise left tackle who just agreed to a contract extension) and Stroud should be able to hit the ground running as the Week 1 starter. 

With the No. 12 overall pick — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — the Texans bolster their pass rush by taking Clemson’s Myles Murphy.

The Texans landed their franchise quarterback with their first selection, and now they can add a dynamic piece to their defensive front. Murphy has tremendous upside.

The Texans go with the quarterback-edge defender combination for their first-round picks. Where that leaves Houston entering Round 2 with the No. 33 overall selection is receiver. The Tennessee Titans grab Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 11 overall. The Seattle Seahawks take USC’s Jordan Addison at No. 20 overall. Boston College’s Zay Flowers goes the very next pick to the Los Angeles Chargers. TCU’s Quentin Johnston makes it as far as No. 27 overall before the Buffalo Bills scoop up the lengthy wideout.

Depending upon what the Pittsburgh Steelers do at No. 32 overall, it is likely the Texans will have a shot at Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt in this draft scenario. Within the Texans’ first three selections, they can effectively plug the last remaining gaping holes on their roster and have a fair shot at completing the rebuild.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Texans solved running back with Dameon Pierce selection

The Houston Texans don’t have to worry about running back for the next few seasons thanks to the dominant rookie season from Dameon Pierce.

The Houston Texans may still have one of the more underwhelming rosters in the NFL, but that does not mean that all of their position groups are devoid of talent.

According to Kevin Patra from NFL.com, the Texans are in the “acquire depth” portion of teams with their running back situations, and it is thanks to the fourth-round selection of Dameon Pierce in the 2022 NFL draft.

Houston unearthed a gem in Pierce. The fourth-round pick runs angrily and plows through arm tackles with ease. Pierce generated 939 yards on 220 carries with four TDs despite missing the season’s final four weeks. He’s the Texans’ clear workhorse back heading into the 2023 campaign. As with most of Houston’s roster, upgrades around Pierce would be helpful. Adding a pass-catching back is necessary, particularly if Houston finally quits Rex Burkhead.

The other aspect of Pierce’s 939 yards is he was held to exactly eight yards in each contest from Weeks 11-12. If Pierce even puts up a 72-yard performance — the approximation to his yards per game average — he would have crested the 1,000-yard mark, and not needed an extra four games to do so.

Regardless of who is the offensive coordinator in Houston, Pierce locks down the starting running back job. All the front office must do is acquire talent, and the coaching staff must develop it to provide an adequate bench behind Pierce.

Dare Ogunbowale remains under contract for Houston. The former 2017 undrafted free agent carried 42 times for 123 yards and a touchdown while also catching 20 passes for 104 yards. In terms of technically being a backup, the Texans have it with Ogunbowale. However, the structure of the Texans’ running back stable at the moment is one where Pierce does it all. If Houston wants to preserve Pierce, they will need to add a complementary back either in free agency or the draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Texans’ receiving corps considered ‘a piece or two or three’ from being good

The Houston Texans’ receiving corps still needs some work to be one of the better units in the league.

The Houston Texans still need help at wide receiver.

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, the Texans are in the category of teams that need “a piece or two or three” for their receiving corps to be a good unit.

Like with most of the positions on the Texans’ roster, there are a lot of unknowns at receiver. Will [Brandin] Cooks stand firm on his desire not to be part of another rebuilding year? Given the dearth of free-agent options, WR-needy teams should be checking with Houston on the veteran’s availability. But if the plan is to break in a rookie quarterback, would the Texans want to jettison their best big-play threat? [Nico] Collins is a solid target but hasn’t stayed healthy, and [John] Metchie is a wild card after missing his entire rookie season due to leukemia. Houston has more prominent needs, but adding more young talent to the WR room is on the wish list.

Believe it or not, the category of “a piece or two or three” is one step up from “need immediate help,” which is where it seems like the Texans really are.

More than additional talent, what the Texans could use is consistency from the corps they have. Cooks had one of his worst seasons in terms of health in 2022; he played in 13 games, the second-lowest total of his career. Collins also missed seven games after just missing three in his rookie season. Together Cooks and Collins missed Weeks 8, 14 and 15.

Should the Texans draft a receiver with their additional selection at No. 12 overall, it would demonstrate a willingness to move on from Cooks. The timing would come into question — taking a wideout in the first round and keeping Cooks could indicate Houston might shop the veteran near the end of preseason.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Texans should be buyer beware if targeting Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

The Houston Texans have an option at No. 12 overall with Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt, but they need to exercise caution.

The 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns gave the Houston Texans a chance to instantly upgrade whichever aspect of the game or side of the ball they choose.

With twin Round 1 picks at Nos. 2 and 12 overall, the Texans can grab a quarterback and pair him with a highly touted receiver to give Houston’s passing attack immediate credibility and give opponents a duo to fear in coming seasons.

One of the names that has been slotted at No. 12 overall in mock drafts is Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt — albeit not as often as TCU’s Quentin Johnston and USC’s Jordan Addison.

According to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who was on a conference call on Feb. 24, teams that are interested in Hyatt need to comprehend what he can bring to a team’s passing game immediately and allow him the chance to develop into a complete receiver.

“I’ve seen him flash the ability to get in and out of breaks,” Jeremiah said. “He just doesn’t do a ton of it. My thing with him is I think there’s a high floor, because worst case scenario he is going to stretch the field. He is going to take the top off of defenses. You’ll be able to put him in the slot and be able to run deep overs and run verticals. You can just pitch him the ball and let him do some things after the catch with his speed.”

Where Texans receivers coach Ben McDaniels would need to help Hyatt is with his routes.

“He is going to need work to develop the full route tree,” said Jeremiah. “That’s not going to happen right away. I think in the immediate term you have an elite field stretcher, so, I think you’ve got to know what you are buying there and know what that role is going to be.

“If you are going to bring him in there and ask him to be Keenan Allen, then that’s not going to work because that’s not who he is.”

Hyatt caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns through 12 games for the Volunteers in 2022.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Texans must identify the greatest risk if Bryce Young is their QB

If the Houston Texans are going to make Alabama QB Bryce Young their top pick, they must have their eyes wide open to the biggest risk.

The Houston Texans appear to be on a collision course to take Bryce Young No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner had a prolific career at Alabama with 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions through 34 career games. Perhaps the 2022 campaign, although not getting anywhere near a national championship, was his most impressive as he completed 245 passes on 380 attempts for 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions while working with a limited supporting cast.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a Feb. 24 conference call that he considers Young to be the best quarterback on his board.

“In terms of the ability, it’s all there,” Jeremiah said. “I mean, every type of throw you want to make. He can drive it. He can layer the ball. He can make plays on schedule, off schedule. The talent is exceptional.”

One of the issues that surrounds Young is the most common for any college quarterback: how does the production translate to the pro level?

However, that is not the greatest risk that a team would be assessing when it came to Young. It would be the former Crimson Tide signal caller’s endurance. At 6-0, 194 pounds, there are concerns Young would not be able to hold up to the pounding NFL quarterbacks take. The concern is especially underscored by how the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, who is of comparable size at 5-10, 207 pounds, has missed nine games and played hurt for the past two seasons.

“With Bryce the gamble is just the durability,” said Jeremiah. “Is he going to be able to physically hold up? That’s the gamble I would take when you stack all these guys up.”

If the Texans do take the gamble with Young, it may be prudent to have a strong enough quarterback room to absorb the impact should he miss any time. New coach DeMeco Ryans spent his years with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-22 and had a wide range of experiences of what can happen when a team does or doesn’t have an adequate backup quarterback in place.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Anthony Richardson could make his case to Texans as second-best QB in 2023 NFL draft class

One way for the Houston Texans to evaluate Anthony Richardson is to listen to where teams not needing a QB have him on their boards.

One of the adages about grocery shopping is to never do so while hungry. When browsing the aisles with a churning stomach, one may shop for more items than they would actually eat for the next couple weeks.

The same can be said for taking positions of need in the NFL. Teams desperate to shore up a certain position may not see the whole picture.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on his conference call Feb. 24 that teams not needing a quarterback have the 2023 NFL draft class slated differently when it comes to the crop of young signal callers.

“Making calls just around the league, the best way to do the quarterback conversation is talk to the teams that don’t need one, and then you’ll get kind of an accurate feel just how they evaluate him and what they think,” Jeremiah said. “Anthony Richardson is the second quarterback for several teams that I talked to.”

The Florida product is generally regarded as the fourth-best quarterback in the class behind Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

“We can look at the numbers,” Jeremiah said. “It doesn’t look great on paper. You look at the accuracy and this, that, and the other; and he has elite, elite arm strength. He is a rare athlete. You don’t see quarterbacks running away from LSU with 80-yard touchdown runs. Like, he has big-time, big-time ceiling, big-time ability.”

Richardson completed 176 passes on 327 attempts for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions through 12 games with the Gators in 2022. The 6-4, 236-pound field general also rushed 103 times for 654 yards and nine touchdowns.

Even though Richardson has just 22 starts for his collegiate career, Jeremiah believes quarterbacks are like lottery tickets.

Said Jeremiah: “I know he hasn’t played a ton, but teams are starting to look at some of these quarterbacks as lottery tickets, and this one has the biggest pay-out. That’s why I think you’re going to see Richardson go pretty high.”

The Houston Texans are linked to Young, but could watch another team pick the Crimson Tide quarterback if they are willing to make a deal with the Chicago Bears for No. 1 overall. If the Texans can’t get to Young and have to settle for Richardson, it may not be that bad of a proposition if the 21-year-old is indeed the second-best quarterback in the draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]