Houston Texans Rookie Review: Keke Coutee

The Houston Texans drafted wide receiver Keke Coutee in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Houston Texans got great value drafting Keke Coutee with their fourth-round selection. Coutee was one of the few Texans rookies that had the vote of confidence of the coaching staff to be a big part of the game plan, and he was projected as the starting slot receiver going into the regular season.

Coutee struggled with hamstring injuries from the start of training camp and preseason, and it carried on into the regular season games as well. He didn’t make his debut in the NFL until Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts when he finished the game with 11 receptions for 109 receiving yards.

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Coutee went on to play the next three games before sitting out three weeks with another hamstring injury. He returned after the bye week against the Washington Redskins and the Tennessee Titans before he had to leave the last game due to another hamstring injury. Coutee’s biggest obstacle moving forward will be staying on the football field as he missed ten games due to nagging hamstring injuries in his rookie season.

Coutee finished the regular season playing a total of six games, having a total of 28 receptions,287 receiving yards, one touchdown, averaging 10.3 yards per receptions and 47.3 yards per game.

In the Texans first-round exit against the Colts in the playoffs, Coutee was one of the few productive players in the Texans offense. He finished the game with 11 receptions for 110 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Colts’ defense.

Texans general manager Brian Gaine and the coaching staff found a talented third option at wide receiver in the fourth round. Texans have a reliable receiver to have in the middle of the field when healthy, Coutee proved to be able to take advantage of all the attention the Texans receivers had in the outside.