Houston Texans Rookie Review: Jordan Akins

The Houston Texans drafted 25-year-old tight end Jordan Akins with their third and final pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Houston Texans drafted tight end Jordan Akins from the University of Central Florida with the 98th pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Akins entered the NFL older than other tight end prospects at 25 years of age because he pursued a baseball career with the Texas Rangers minor league system before playing college football.

Head coach Bill O’Brien and the rest of the coaching staff had a closer look at Akins as a tight end prospect since the Texans were responsible for coaching the South team in the 2018 Senior Bowl. Texans drafted Akins with their third and final draft pick in the third round that was acquired as compensation selection for cornerback A.J. Bouye signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.

The tight end position underwent a drastic overhaul last season with C.J. Fiedorowicz retiring prematurely due to a series of unfortunate concussions and Stephen Anderson being waived since he was unable to carve out a role as a productive pass-catching tight end.

Akins was used sparingly in his rookie season, he had 17 receptions for 225 receiving yards and averaged 13.2 yards per reception. Versatility is the name of the game for the Texans in how they utilized Akins in his rookie season, he was used in a reserve role as a tight end, H-back, slot receiver, or lined out wide depending on the game plan.

Moving forward Akins’ athleticism will continue to allow the Texans to be creative in lining him up to create mismatches against opposing defenses.