The Houston Texans' 2025 NFL Draft was all about supporting quarterback C.J. Stroud and making sure he's fully supported after a woeful offensive campaign relative to expectations.
Stroud entered the year with MVP expectations yet ranked middling relative to his peers in most passing statistics, throwing just 20 TDs to 12 interceptions for an offense that ranked 19th in yards per play (5.2). Houston spent its first three draft picks on offensive players, though they came back around late in the draft to add to the quarterback room as well.
In selecting Florida signal caller Graham Mertz, the Texans may have found a long-term backup. Unfortunately for one unheralded veteran, Mertz may be coming to take his job sooner than later.
Graham Mertz is the 3rd FBS player over the last 25 seasons with 5 pass TD and a 95% completion pct in a game over the last 25 seasons. He joins Gunner Kiel and Matt Barkley.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 24, 2020
Mertz finished 20-21 (95.2%), breaking the Wisconsin comp pct record (min. 10 attempts). pic.twitter.com/qIaXmVMksG
Texans Drafting QB Graham Mertz Puts Davis Mills on Hot Seat
In the sixth round, with the 197th overall pick, the Texans selected Mertz. He's recovering from an ACL tear but is expected to be ready for summer workouts, and he has an intriguing skill set that could rival Mills' should anything ever happen to Stroud.
Mertz spent the first three years of his career at Wisconsin before transferring to Florida for his final two campaigns. He had an underwhelming tenure as a Badger but shined in his first year with the Gators, completing a remarkable 72.9% of his passes for 2,903 yards (8.1 YPA) and 20 TDs to just three interceptions. Mertz isn't much of a rusher, though he can manipulate the pocket well overall.
It's unlikely that someone as unproven, while still recovering from an injury, would take Mills' job immediately. That said, Mills is officially on the hot seat.
He suited up for just four games last year, completing 55.6% of his passes after notching a pathetic 46.2% completion percentage the season prior, and he's proven to be woefully turnover-prone throughout his career.
Obviously, the Texans are in trouble if Stroud ever goes down. The offense is set to compete with the AFC's best and the defense is already in position to fight for a Super Bowl, yet it's still important to have the best backup quarterback possible. We've twice seen backups come in during postseason contests for Patrick Mahomes during the Kansas City Chiefs' dynastic run, and Houston needs to prepare for the worst.
Mertz, at the very least, gives the team some upside relative to Mills. Don't be surprised if the quarterback depth chart gets reshuffled sometime during the 2025 campaign.