When the Houston Texans were on the clock with the 175th overall selection in the fifth round of this past NFL draft, they selected seldom used receiver Keith Mumphery out of Michigan State. It was a bit of a surprise considering the Texans moved up in round three to grab receiver Jaelen Strong from Arizona State and did not have another pick until the fifth round selection.
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Even more surprising is that Mumphery was projected to be an undrafted free agent according to NFL.com. The reason he wasn’t a higher graded prospect was simple, he had just 26 catches for 495 yards and three touchdowns his senior season at MSU.
While he has been called a physical player and a high quality leader, there was still a belief that the one way Mumphery makes a mark on this team would be through special teams. Yet, in the early going of OTA’s, the rookie is turning heads with his ability as a receiver in the early going according to John Harris of HoustonTexans.com.
"The day rookie WR Keith Mumphery was drafted, I noted how good he’d be for the special teams units but if he’s not careful he’s going to inject himself right into the WR competition. That guy caught a ton of passes throughout the day and even got some kudos from Brian Hoyer during the QB’s media session after the OTA. He’s a rookie. He’s not perfect. He dropped a pass or two. But, that guy is making a big impression right away with the staff and veterans."
Harris wasn’t the only reporter to take notice of the strides Mumphery is making quickly. Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com tweeted out her opinion of how well the young man is doing as well;
Obviously it is early, so a lot could change, but for a team trying to move on from veteran receivers it is a positive sign to already be generating good reviews from one of their young players trying to make a name in the NFL.