Will Brett Hundley Get Drafted By The Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans are stirring more pre-draft rumors as they meet with UCLA quarterback, Brett Hundley on Monday afternoon, per sources at NBC Sports. The Texans are not desperate, by any means, to sign someone quickly but the team is still on the hunt for a franchise quarterback. As the available talent in the NFL currently is not very high, one can never have too many options, especially if Hundley is still on the board in the third round of the upcoming draft.
Hundley remained in college for his final year at UCLA, putting up a solid 22 touchdowns with only five interceptions and no fumbles. He’s not regarded as a first round draft pick, despite his stock being on the rise. He would almost surely be a long term project, unless quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer were to suffer early on in the ensuing year.
Both potential starting quarterbacks for Houston have already spent considerable time in the NFL. Mallett, racking up three years under Tom Brady and Hoyer having played six years for three different teams, (not including the Texans.) This makes a promising young backup as a third man on the depth chart, an exciting prospect for general manager Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien.
Physically, Hundley lacks nothing in either size nor strength, standing at 6’3, 227 lbs. He threw nearly 70% completion percentage last year and although he still ran the ball, (something NFL teams continue to dislike) UCLA used far less designed run plays and acquired fewer yards gained by doing so. The biggest factor Brett Hundley has going for him is he’s gained college experience playing in a pro-style offense. This makes him a more comfortable pick for NFL teams rather than going for quarterbacks such as Baylor alumni Bryce Petty, whose college resume appears more explosive on paper.
The only other real priority the Texans have, going into the draft is wide receiver. A position that is not lacking in talented suitors this year. Besides that, another pass rusher and solid offensive lineman would be great additions to the team but the front office has made offseason acquisitions recently that have given the Texans the luxury to pick and choose what prospects to pursue and not be disappointed too much, should they not work out.
Every coach wants three or four draft picks, able to make big impacts in the oncoming season. Being realistic about expectations however, Houston could use Hundley a number of different ways if Mallett or Hoyer quickly become the clear franchise quarterback. Cutting Tom Savage doesn’t seem to be a major loss for the Texans, as they got a chance to see his progress late in the season last year, against the Colts.
The league is low on available quarterback talent, which means teams can never be satisfied enough with who’s playing under center. Hundley’s visit to Houston makes everyone in town excited for the team to enter the year with an array of options on the depth chart. Should the team sign Brett Hundley in the second or third round on May 1st, Bill O’Brien couldn’t ask for a better lineup, going into the 2015 campaign.