By having your biggest needs listed as ‘Everything’ on many mock draft boards, the situation of the roster of the Houston Texans is quite dire. Even when they did have Deshaun Watson on the team, they were unable to have a solid roster, and their outlook for the 2022 NFL season looks no better.
The Texans had four top-45 selections in the NFL Draft, including two firsts (3 & 15) and two seconds (37 & 44). By going defensive back with two of those selections (Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre), Houston demonstrated what kind of focus they were putting on that side of the ball.
Offensively they decided to attack the trenches first, bringing in Texas A&M OL Kenyon Green at 15th overall, and then gave Davis Mills another weapon in Alabama WR John Metchie III, who likely will become this team’s top threat out of the slot in his rookie season.
Of all selections, what makes Metchie the biggest sleeper of them all that will have an impact right out of the gate?
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Texans Rookie Sleeper for 2022 NFL Season
Metchie, unfortunately, tore his ACL back in the SEC Championship Game in December, so his pre-draft workouts were quite limited as he was on the recovery trail. But as his ramp-up continues to heighten during the NFL offseason, Metchie will be able to fully show the Texans why they were smart to select him.
On his path to a full recovery, Metchie said that he will be at 100% and ready to play without any “training wheels” as early as July, a great sign that his recovery is sticking to plan. The Texans were obviously aware of his recovery status and they would not have used an early selection on him if they didn’t believe he would find that same value he showed while in college.
While with the Crimson Tide, Metchie came up four receptions short of 100 on the year, turning those 96 catches into 1,142 yards and 8 TDs. Wide receivers out of the slot for the Texans have struggled to solidify any long-term role, something that Metchie will be counted on right out of the gate.
With Mills looking like he has earned another shot at the starting role, he will be able to create a relationship with Metchie in this offense. As Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins look to be the other two members that will likely be included in the 3-WR sets, Metchie’s role is easily defined and he will be able to understand the team’s expectations for him immediately.
The Texans are far from being competitive, even with how bad the AFC South division is. If Mills is able to compound his rookie season and turn in a solid sophomore campaign, if Cooks is able to continue his 1,000-yard play, if Collins is able to turn the corner and become a bigger threat in the offense, then Metchie will be able to fit right in while still grasping the speed of the game on the fly.
Expecting huge numbers from Metchie is unrealistic for the 2022 NFL season, but thinking that he can at least catch 50 balls for 500+ yards and haul in 4+ TDs certainly would put him on the map, both for the Texans and in a fantasy football sense.
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