The Houston Texans are entering the 2022 NFL Draft with two picks in the first round. They will be on the clock at No. 3 and then against at No. 12 with the selection they received from the Cleveland Browns in the deal that centered around Deshaun Watson.
The Texans are in a position to draft the best player available at both spots as they need help across the board. This is a roster that needs a complete overhauling and will likely take a few years to build back up.
One of the positions that Houston isn’t expected to pursue, at least early on, is quarterback. They want to see what Davis Mills, a second-round pick from 2020, can do as the starter heading into the season.
Given the circumstances in Houston, Mills did about as well as you could hope for a rookie thrust into action. He completed 66.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,664 yards and 16 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He looked to figure things out in the second half of the season when he began starting games again.
In the last five games of the season, Mills had nine touchdowns compared to only two interceptions, completing 68.4 percent of his passes. Houston went 2-3 in those games as well, showing more competitiveness.
While the Texans aren’t expected to make a move for a quarterback during the draft, post-draft, they are a team to keep an eye on according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. They are expected to get in the mix for Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield.
Acquiring either of those players would likely result in Mills not being the starter any longer. Taking on Garoppolo’s contract for a single season, given the projections of the team, would be surprising. It is hard to see what the benefit of bringing in a player, that will be a free agent after the season and will turn 31-years old later this year, would be.
Mayfield is also on an expiring deal, but he makes more sense as he could be the long-term answer at only 27-years old. Getting him as a free agent should the Browns release him would be a great move for Houston, potentially solidifying the quarterback position and allowing the front office to focus on other areas of the roster.
