The Houston Texans walked away from the NFL Draft with quite the haul. Some of the positions the front office targeted were expected. With some of the concerns the Texans had with injuries at the wide receiver position, it’s no surprise that the Texans double dipped at wide receiver, and after the Laremy Tunsil trade, investment in an offensive tackle seemed inevitable. However, there was one position and selection that should put a long time Texan on notice.
The Texans are seemingly set at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future. Even though C.J. Stroud had somewhat of a “sophomore slump” he’s still engrained as the Texans long-time starter. After Stroud, the only real option on the roster was Davis Mills, although Kedon Slovis will be attending camp after signing his reserve/future contract.
Mills came to the Texans as a third-round pick out of Stanford. He was seen as a potential starter and developmental project. Thrust into the role of a starter after an injury to Tyrod Taylor, Mills started 26 games in his first two seasons. Mills ultimately was not very successful as a starter and led to the Texans selecting Stroud No. 2 overall. Mills is entering the last year of his rookie deal but is a solid number two on the depth chart...today.
Rookie Graham Mertz Could End Davis Mills Tenure as a Texan
In the 6th round, the Texans went back to the developmental well and drafted Florida QB Graham Mertz. Mertz was a highly touted recruit who started his college career at the University of Wisconsin. He didn’t really flourish though until he transferred to the University of Florida. Mertz saw himself grow into an incredibly efficient quarterback, posting back-to-back completion percentages of 72 and 76, respectively. Mertz was injured his final year, but the Texans didn’t shy away from Mills when that was the case with Mills coming out of Stanford.
Mertz comes into the NFL with better stats and comparable measurables to Mills’s college career. Mills has seen an uptick in QBR in his past two seasons, but they were in limited roles. While it’s expected that the Texans may have opted for Stroud as a starter, in 2023 when given the opportunity to replace Stroud for two games, the Texans opted for Case Keenum instead. Between his limited use and the drafting of Mertz, Mills is on notice.
If Stroud ends up injured the Texans would be in a tough spot anyway. Mills hasn’t shown the ability to win in the NFL so keeping him around isn’t because he’s proven anything at the NFL level. If Mertz is forced into playing this year it may also mean a Texans’ loss, but with Mills at the helm, it almost assures it. If Mertz has a strong training camp, the Texans would be wise to move on from Mills and give Mertz the backup spot.