PHILADELPHIA — The Houston Texans won’t contend with the New England Patriots for the AFC championship until they upgrade at quarterback.
The Texans own an elite defense, an excellent group of wide receivers and a quality running back in Lamar Miller. Just about every piece of the puzzle is present, with the exception of a QB.
After failing to acquire Tony Romo in the offseason, the Texans’ best avenue to improve under center is the 2017 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday with the first round. One quarterback who should be on Houston’s radar is Clemson star Deshaun Watson.
“It wouldn’t be a bad spot at all,” Watson said of the Texans after Wednesday’s NFL PLAY 60 event at Shriners Hospital for Children. “They have a great set-up down there, a great team. Great situation, and really any situation would be good regardless of the team. But I wouldn’t mind going to Houston. I wouldn’t mind going anywhere, to be honest. As long as I get (drafted), I’m good.”
Watson spent three years at Clemson and never completed fewer than 67 percent of his passes. He also threw for more than 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns in each of his last two campaigns. He doesn’t make many mistakes, and his mobility around the pocket and ability to pick up large chunks of yards on the ground can make him difficult to defend.
Watson also is no stranger to high-pressure situations. He went 3-1 in College Football Playoff games as the Tigers’ starter, including one of the finest championship performances the sport has ever seen back in January against No. 1-ranked Alabama. He nearly led Clemson to a comeback national title victory the year before, too.
“It’s fun. It’s what I dreamed of doing,” Watson said when asked about playing in big games. “I guess that’s one of my purposes in life, being able to shine in front of the bright lights and be successful at it. And have an impact not just on the team and the game, but in life in general for all the young people that watches me.”
The Texans expect to be playing football deep into January this coming season, and even though the NFL playoffs are a brighter spotlight than the CFP, Watson has much more experience in big games than other top QB prospects such as North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes. Watson’s calm demeanor under pressure helps set him apart from those other two quarterbacks.
Tom Savage isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback for the Texans. In fact, he’s not a very good short-term solution, either. Watson is a dual-threat quarterback with a strong work ethic and a proven record in clutch situations.
Of course, drafting Watson doesn’t guarantee Houston anything in January, but he should make the Texans harder to game plan against, and that’s one reason why he’s worthy of consideration for the No. 25 overall pick.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
