Houston Texans: 2015 NFL Draft Recap
By Cody Poage
Dec 27, 2014; El Paso, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) jumps in the air to catch a pass against the Duke Blue Devils in the 2014 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Round 3, 70th overall: WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
Even with the recent additions of Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington, the Texans still felt the need to upgrade their receiver core following the departure of Andre Johnson.
And while the organization didn’t add one of the top receiving prospects in the first two rounds like a Devante Parker or Phillip Dorsett, the front office did eventually addressed this issue in the third-round with the selection of Jaelen Strong from Arizona State.
2014 statistics: 12 games, 82 receptions, 1,165 yards, 10 touchdowns, 14.2 receiving yards per reception
But much like the McKinney selection in the second-round, the Texans had to part with more assets to get their guy.
This time the team traded wide receiver DeVier Posey along with a third, fifth, and seventh-round pick (82nd, 152nd, and 229th overall) to the New York Jets for their third-round pick (70th overall).
But what is the wide receiver’s strengths, and what caused him to slip to the third-round?
Per a NFL.com draft profile from Lance Zierlein of SportsTalk790 and NFL.com:
"Play speed average at best. Rarely gets separation deep against man-to-man. Routes need improvement. Forced to make a substantial amount of contested throws. Corners don’t fear his speed and are able to sit on underneath throws."
Now it makes sense why the Arizona State wideout would drop in the draft. He clearly has to improve his overall game to be successful at the next level.
But the physical tools are there, such as a 32 1/2″ arm length and 9″ hands to go with his height of 6’2″, which caused the Texans to eventually take notice of the young wideout.
Per a draft report from Dane Brulger of Cbssports.com:
"Above average height, length and frame for the position. Physical presence to post up and secure 50-50 balls, doing a nice job in traffic. Balanced athlete with coordinated feet and body control to stay in rhythm."
In other words, while Strong possesses impressive physical tools that doesn’t mean that it has necessarily been fully translated to the gridiron yet. But with the proper coaching and opportunities, the young wideout will have a chance to mature and prove himself on the NFL level. A solid pickup for the Texans in round three of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Next: Another Wide Receiver