Houston Texans: 5 players whose stock is rising after preseason Week 1
By Randy Gurzi
3. Jaelen Strong, WR
Lost in the hype of the receiver-heavy draft the Texans had in 2016 was the fact that they spent a 2015 third-round pick on Arizona State receiver Jaelen Strong. It was easy to forget because Strong had just 14 receptions on the year for 161 yards and three touchdowns.
It looked like in October he would break out as he pulled in two touchdown grabs against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night football. That wasn’t the case though as he hardly saw action after that.
Reports say that Strong’s issue was his weight and conditioning. Then he was arrested for marijuana possession in the offseason which may have woke him up. Since then Strong has slimmed down and reportedly came to camp ready to roll.
On Sunday, he hauled in four receptions for 42 yards. The most impressive catch was a leaping reception he hauled in from quarterback Tom Savage who was taking a hit when he delivered the pass.
Strong now has to fight off first-round pick Will Fuller to get a starting gig, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.
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