Houston Texans draft preview: Is Carson Wentz our guy?

The word “ouch” doesn’t do that justice.

Following an embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Houston Texans are out of the playoff race after the team apparently forgot to show up. While there is no player or coach that can avoid the blame for that loss, a lot of the guilt can be put starting quarterback Brian Hoyer and his 5 turnovers.

While I for one think that Hoyer is a very competent QB, his postseason meltdown has many Texans fans calling for his head (but really Houston, take a breather). What we did learn from this game, though, is that the quarterback situation still has not been solved.

So what’s one way to try and fix the issue? Add some fresh blood. Aka, through the NFL Draft.

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Because the Texans made the playoffs, they have received the 22nd pick in this year’s draft. While the top-end talent will probably be gone by then, there is a late first round option the Texans could take a chance on: North Dakota State University QB Carson Wentz.

NDSU is part of the FCS, which is the little brother of the more well known FBS. Even though the competition that the team faces is generally less than that of more well known schools, NDSU has won an absolutely ridiculous 5 straight FCS National Champions. Still, while the transition from college to NFL is generally rough for all rookies, it can be particularly rough for smaller school players like Wentz. But there is still a lot to like about his game.

For one, Wentz plays in a pro style offense, which is a rare sight in the world of college football. This style means that Wentz is accustomed to calling plays in the huddle and taking snaps from under center, which is something many rookies struggle with when they get to the big leagues. Having this skill already is huge for the senior, and is very desirable to lots of NFL coaches.

Wentz also fits the mold of a prototypical quarterback, clocking in at 6’5 and 223 lbs. Because of the offense NDSU runs, Carson Wentz also is very good at running the play action and throwing on the run, which is greatly beneficial for a West Coast style offense. Perhaps his best trait is his running ability, which is incredibly impressive for a guy his size. All of these things add up to a quarterback who fits the typical Bill O’Brien mold.

Next: Time for fans to move on from Arian Foster

Perhaps the biggest test for Wentz will be the Senior Bowl on January 30th, in which he’ll be able to compete with the top seniors from around the country, and we’ll get a good look at how he performs against top tier competition. But we won’t really know how equipped he is for the NFL until we see him perform in the 2016 NFL Preseason.

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