The Houston Texans hold the 25th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. With a quarterback as one of the biggest needs, the team should draft Patrick Mahomes II out of Texas Tech.
The Houston Texans Should Draft Patrick Mahomes II
Last off-season, the Texans signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to a four year, $72 million contract. Many felt the deal was absolutely absurd. Before joining Houston, Osweiler started seven games for the Denver Broncos in 2015, throwing for 1,967 yards and 10 touchdowns in the process. While those numbers were impressive, there were other things that proved Osweiler wasn’t as good as everyone thought.
Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos lost a 14-point lead in a loss. Against the Oakland Raiders, Osweiler was sacked five times by Khalil Mack alone. Despite all of that, Denver went on to defeat the 15-1 Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50.
Houston is down to two quarterbacks after releasing Osweiler. Brandon Weeden has been with the team since 2015 and has had just two successful games with the team. Tom Savage hasn’t proven to be the right starting quarterback either, as he threw for just 461 yards and no touchdowns in three games started.
Mahomes is the Man
Mahomes shows that he could be a great NFL quarterback that can make plays with both his arms and his legs. During his three seasons at Texas Tech, he threw for 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns. After a freshman season of just 1,547 yards and 16 touchdowns, Mahomes broke out with 4,653 yards and 36 touchdowns. Not many thought he could have a better season than he did in 2015.
Ultimately, he proved them wrong in 2016, throwing for 5,052 yards and 41 touchdowns. Mahomes also rushed for 456 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015. Like he did in the passing game, Mahomes had a better running game in 2016. While he didn’t rush for as many yards (456), he rushed for more touchdowns (12).
Mahomes isn’t projected to be one of the top quarterbacks, so he won’t be drafted in the top-10 or even the top-15 like some other signal callers such as Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky are projected to be.
Mahomes showed his speed at the NFL combine, with an unofficial time on the 40-yard dash of 4.84. The time wasn’t as impressive as Watson’s or Trubisky’s, but there will be more chances for him to redeem himself with his running abilities. Mahomes also showed his arm power at the Texas Tech pro day. He threw an 80-yard pass with no trouble.
If he’s available at 25, Houston should definitely draft him, and he would be the best draft pick in Houston Texans history. Mahomes working with wide receiver Deandre Hopkins would prove to show an offensive powerhouse the league hasn’t seen since Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.
Mahomes being with Houston wouldn’t just help the offense, but it would also make the Texans an overall better team. They already have an impressive defensive line with J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. They also have a solid secondary. The one big thing they are missing is a quarterback. With Mahomes under center, not only would Houston have a good quarterback. They would have a quarterback of the future.
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