Tag: Xavier Hutchinson

Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson earns ‘best pick’ label from CBS Sports

Former Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson earned the label as the Houston Texans’ “best pick” of the 2023 NFL draft — so says CBS Sports.

If you asked Houston Texans fans, the best pick of the draft would vary anywhere between quarterback C.J. Stroud or defensive end Will Anderson, both taken at Nos. 2-3 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Even third-round receiver Tank Dell would be a third-party candidate given his appeal to Clutch City sports fans for the past two seasons.

If you asked Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports, sixth-round receiver Xavier Hutchinson from Iowa State was the Texans’ best pick of the draft, even going so far as to earn Houston an A-minus grade.

Was the obvious No. 1 at Iowa State this season and thrived despite the attention. Well-rounded more so than someone with a specialty. Rebounder type in the red zone and for being a bigger wideout, he’s fun after the catch.

Hutchinson has size at 6-1, 203 pounds. The former 2022 first-team All-American is another big-body target for Stroud to look for in the red zone along with Nico Collins.

General manager Nick Caserio pointed out that Hutchinson was productive in his final year with the Cyclones with 107 catches for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games. However, the pre-draft workouts presented a different perception.

“I would say this is a classic example of a guy whose workout didn’t go great, but he’s a good football player, so he falls into that bucket,” said Caserio. “It’s a player the offensive staff thought highly of. As we were repositioning at that point, we were trying to see who are players you had decent grades on that you have some affinity for. That’s why we went ahead and made the pick with Hutch.”

The sooner Hutchinson can develop cohesion with Stroud, the quicker he should be able to see playing time and make an impact for Houston.

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Did the Texans crowd their receiving corps with Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson?

The Houston Texans drafted Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. Are the Texans crowding their receiving corps?

The Houston Texans picked two receivers in the 2023 NFL draft with third-rounder Tank Dell and sixth-rounder Xavier Hutchinson.

Throw in last year’s second-rounder John Metchie, who missed all of 2022 battling leukemia, and the Texans essentially have three rookies joining the team.

Houston’s receiving corps already has free agents Noah Brown, Steven Sims, and Robert Woods along with Nico Collins, Amari Rodgers, and Jalen Camp on the roster.

General manager Nick Caserio isn’t concerned with the group being too crowded.

“There will be an adjustment period probably for some, and then probably do some things offensively, some of the formations,” Caserio said April 29 after the draft. “Some guys will be better at certain things relative to others. Again, it’s really about letting the players ultimately determine how they actually all fit together and what their roles are. They all have things that they do well. They all have things they bring to the table, and we’ll try to put them in a position where they can accentuate those things.”

Caserio compared the Texans’ receiving corps to the offensive line in that attrition can take a surprising toll on a group.

Said Caserio: “I’d say that’s a position where it’s kind of like offensive line, like you have numbers until you don’t have numbers. Inevitably lose a receiver or two, so then you’re out there in training camp with eight or nine. It’s a high volume, high numerical position just in terms of having bodies, and kind of let the competition play itself out.”

Dell caught 109 passes for 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns through 13 games with the Houston Cougars last season. Hutchinson provided Iowa State with 107 catches for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games.

Meanwhile Metchie has been participating with the Texans during Phase 2 of their offseason workouts.

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WATCH: Best Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson highlights from Iowa State

Take a look at new Houston Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson’s best highlights from his days at Iowa State.

The Houston Texans have taken a balanced approach in the 2023 NFL draft, taking high-end prospects on both sides of the ball in their effort to craft a competitive roster next season. Iowa State wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson might be a late-round selection, but he fits the bill as a productive, athletic target who could make an impact for the rebuilding team when the regular season gets underway in September.

Though he isn’t the most polished receiver in this class, Hutchinson has all the tools scouts look for in pass-catching prospects. Check out his collegiate highlight reel below to get acquainted with his skillset:

Texans trade with Bills to take Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson No. 205 overall in Round 6 of 2023 NFL draft

The Houston Texans traded with the Buffalo Bills to take Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL draft.

Receiver was an area of need for the Houston Texans, and they finally addressed the skill position on the final day of the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston traded up with the Buffalo Bills to select former Iowa State receiver Xavier Hutchinson with the No. 205 overall pick in the draft Saturday.

Hutchinson caught 107 passes for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns in his final 12 games with the Cyclones last season.

The 6-3, 210-pound wideout was a first-team All-American last season. Hutchinson also was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 from 2020-22.

Houston traded their 230 overall pick in Round 7 along with a 2024 sixth-rounder to the Bills to take Hutchinson.

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NFL draft: Best remaining players on Day 3 from Forness’ big board

Going into day three, there is still really good talent to be had.

The Minnesota Vikings had only one selection on day two of the NFL draft. They traded back with the San Francisco 49ers and ultimately selected USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon.

As the team heads into day three of the NFL draft, they have five selections and many promising players still available on the board.

Managing editor Tyler Forness put together a big board prior to the NFL draft beginning and there are still multiple players in his top 20 left on the board. Here are the top 10 players available on Forness’ big board.

 

Secret Superstars of the 2023 NFL draft: The best underrated prospects

Who are the best underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL draft? Doug Farrar runs down the sleepers who could make surprising differences in the NFL.

Several NFL executives have already made it clear that they’re struggling to find as many as 20 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class deserving of a first-round grade.

That may look like a pull quote, but it’s not entirely uncommon. Drafts like the 2023 one, which starts Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST, are wider than they are tall, which means that while there aren’t a ton of obvious first-round guys, there are second- and third-day players who can make a difference on an NFL roster right away.

And that’s why it’s so important to have your scouting go all the way through all seven rounds and beyond. Ask the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who got their eventual starting running back (Rutgers’ Isiah Pacheco) in the seventh round. Or the Seattle Seahawks, who bagged starting cornerback Tariq Woolen out of UTSA in the fifth. And of course, there were few more interesting rookie stories in 2022 than the tale of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the most relevant “Mr. Irrelevant” in pro football history.

Looking ahead to the most talented sleepers in the 2023 draft class, there are prospects who have been pushed down in loaded position groups, those who need a bit of finishing work to fully unlock their NFL potential, and those who don’t have a total skill set, but who do a few things very well. They are all more than worthy of NFL consideration, and just because they’ll probably hear their names called in the late second or early third day of the draft, don’t automatically discount their NFL potential.

That’s a mistake the smartest NFL teams never make. Here are my most gifted sleepers — the “Secret Superstars” of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar: Greg’s 2023 NFL Draft All-Underrated Team

In this week’s episode of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg names his favorite underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL draft.

Every week, in “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire talks with Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup about the intricacies of the game. With the 2023 draft just around the corner, Greg gets into six of his favorite underrated players in this draft class — guys who won’t be taken in the first round, and maybe not even in the second round, but Greg just enjoyed watching their tape, and he believes them to have impact potential at the next level.

In addition, Greg and Doug get into concepts about the draft, and current positional value, that are highly relevant to the NFL today.

Here are Greg’s All-Underrated players:

  • Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn
  • Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma
  • Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
  • Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
  • Jartavius Martin, DB, Illinois
  • Trey Dean III, S, Florida

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

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NFL Draft: 6 Vikings offensive targets on day 3

The Minnesota Vikings currently have five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and there are gems to be found on day three.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently slated to have five picks in the 2023 NFL draft. They are likely to use them as currency to trade up and down in the draft.

What they won’t have is 10 picks on day three to add a lot of depth to the roster. Last year, the Vikings drafted six players in round four or later to add depth that was void due to Rick Spielman’s poor drafting.

This year, I expect the Vikings to pick five or less times on day three. Just because they will have less swings doesn’t mean they can’t find talented players. Here are six offensive targets the Vikings should prioritize on day three.

Vikings sent Hendon Hooker again in 7-round ESPN mock

The Minnesota Vikings continue to get sent Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker in mock drafts with the latest from ESPN’s Matt Miller.

The Minnesota Vikings have a need at quarterback. Kirk Cousins is set to be a free agent after the season and there are a multitude of players that they could choose at the top of the draft.

ESPN’s Matt Miller released a seven-round mock draft on Sunday morning and he has the Vikings taking Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker at 23rd overall.

One of the most popular texts I’ve gotten from evaluators throughout the past 10 days has been some form of “Watch the Vikings for Hendon Hooker.” That could be NFL scouts connecting dots, but the Round 1 talk for Hooker has been red hot since the combine and the Vikings do make sense for the dynamic passer. With Kirk Cousins set to hit free agency following the 2023 season at age 35, finding his replacement should be a priority.

Hooker will need to adjust to the spacing of the NFL after playing in the tempo spread at Tennessee, but he’s accurate and mobile, and he throws a beauty of a deep ball. As for Hooker’s ceiling, one NFL quarterbacks coach I spoke to said he believes he can be a top-15 starter. “Look at [Jared] Goff, Geno Smith, Cousins … he has better all-around tools than those guys. The right system will help, but from a talent perspective, he can be a top-half-of-the-league guy.”

Let’s break this down. Miller says that he’s gotten a lot of texts saying “Watch the Vikings for Hendon Hooker” but also doesn’t say that it’s anything more than speculating. That’s something to keep in mind, as it could be reckless speculation.

The selection of Hooker would be a disappointment considering what he provides your football team and the question marks surrounding him. His age (25), torn ACL and an offense that doesn’t translate is a tough sell.

Over the rest of the draft, here is who Miller had the Vikings taking.

  • 87. Northwestern CB Cameron Mitchell
  • 119. Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson
  • 158. Mississippi State DT Cameron Young
  • 211. San Jose State EDGE Viliami Fehoko

Breaking down Chiefs’ picks in Touchdown Wire’s latest 3-round mock draft

Our @goldmctNFL breaks down @TheNFLWire’s picks for the #Chiefs in their latest three-round mock draft.

It won’t be long now, Chiefs Kingdom.

The 2023 NFL draft is just around the bend and we’re seeing plenty of intriguing mock draft scenarios for the Kansas City Chiefs as a result.

Our friend Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire released a brand-new mock draft that covers the first three rounds. He hits what are considered the three biggest needs for the Chiefs with his picks made and even provided a little fanfare by sending the team a Kansas City local in his mock draft.

Here’s a quick reaction to the players sent to the Chiefs in this mock draft: