The Houston Texans made several key additions to their roster this past weekend during the 2015 NFL Draft but perhaps none of them have the same level of expectations as star Arizona State wide receiver, Jaelen Strong.
Strong will be joining an offense that has barely escaped the mourning period of losing legendary wideout and 12 year veteran, Andre Johnson. And While the team has enjoyed the newly discovered potential and breakout success of their 2013 first round prospect, DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins, another wideout was still a key target during the 2015 draft.
Jaelen is packing his bags for Houston training camp and bringing with him is his college resume, stacked with 157 receptions, 2,287 yards, averaging 14.6 yards from the line of scrimmage with 17 touchdowns in just the last two years. During his two year tenure at Arizona State, no. 21 only sat out one game in 2014 versus Washington State due to suffering a concussion the week earlier.
Able to play either in the slot or on the outside, Jaelen pushes vertically downfield with size that NFL quarterbacks would give just about anything to have on their offense. While some analysts have noted the lack of foot speed and burner qualities the wideout may not have, Jaelen appears to be a player who prefers to flat out beat you, fundamentally on his route.
It’s very possible for Strong to lineup opposite or next to Hopkins this year and share catches as a dual threat through the air, a partnership that AFC South rivals are regretting to face.
Jaelen runs with decisive physicality and looks to break away, vertically up the field. These and many more qualities are what make him by far, the most watched prospect by Texans fans, coming out of this year’s draft.
If you’ve not already seen exactly what the Texans stole in the third round of the draft, take a look at his impressive highlight reel below: (Click the link in the top left corner if the video gets pulled)