The Houston Texans finally have something to look forward to. The roster doesn't look so bleak after a fairly successful draft weekend in which the Texans added tons of exciting young talent. Wide receiver John Metchie III is easily one of the most exciting additions to the roster, as he should make an instant impact on a Houston team that is lacking offensive weapons. With that being said, here are three early predictions for Metchie in his rookie season.

John Metchie III predictions in rookie season with Texans

Metchie won't be healthy for the start of the regular season

While it's possible that Metchie is ready to begin the season, it seems unlikely. He suffered a torn ACL in the SEC championship game back in December, which usually means a full year of recovery. The Texans also have little incentive to rush him onto the field, as they won't be competing for anything serious this season. Drafting Metchie was betting on his ability to come back completely healthy, and the only way to guarantee that is to let his recovery take as long as necessary. It's much smarter to allow Metchie to recover than it is to push him into action sooner than necessary.

John Metchie will surpass 750 yards receiving in his rookie year

Assuming Metchie doesn't play the full season, 750 yards receiving would be quite the achievement. However, it's entirely possible that the Alabama product surpasses that number. There aren't many receiving options on the team besides Metchie and Brandin Cooks. There's no guarantee that Cooks isn't traded, so it's possible that Metchie will lead the receiving room in 2022. If that's the case, there's a good chance he reaches 1,000 yards on the year.

It helps that the Texans should have a far more stable passing game in 2022 than they did in 2021. Houston was a downright bad offense for much of 2021, but quarterback Davis Mills managed to turn things around late in the year. Mills actually looked like a decent quarterback down the stretch, putting together some impressive showings, including a 301 yard, three touchdown performance against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans seem to believe that Mills can continue to improve, as they didn't bring in any competition at the position. Assuming Mills continues to play somewhat well, Metchie will be set up to clear 750 receiving yards with ease.

Metchie will be a statistical top five rookie wide receiver

While Metchie wasn't selected early in the draft, a large part of that was due to his ACL injury. Without that injury, it's possible that he would've been taken as early as the second round. However, once John Metchie fully recovers, there's a good chance he produces more than other receivers in front of him. He will get far more targets than most of the other guys in his draft class, and that alone will give him a big statistical edge. Metchie's big-play ability will also help him out. He won't need to rack up a ton of catches per game to put up big numbers, as one or two big plays will be enough for him to post big yardage numbers.