Houston Texans draft prospect: Would Jalen Wydermyer at TE be best decision in ’22?
Adding a tight end to the offense of the Houston Texans would be huge in ’22.
When one thinks about the roster of the Houston Texans this offseason the ight end position has to be discussed at some point before the start of the 2022 NFL Draft, and one player who could join the team via the selection process is Jalen Wydermyer of Texas A&M.
CBS Sports has Wydermyer currently ranked as the top tight end in the Class of ’22 and ranked as the 49th-best player in their list of 150 players ranked at this point of the draft process.
The Texans – who were 4-13 this past season – are still looking for a new head coach and new offensive coordinator, so it is tough to tell exactly what the new folks in charge will want when they speak with general manager Nick Caserio.
In ’21 the tight end position wasn’t the greatest, but in all honesty not much was great about the Texans this past season. Jordan Akins was the leading TE for the Texans in ’21 with 24 receptions for 214 yards with zero touchdowns and an average of 8.9 yards per reception in 13 games.
Brevin Jordan finished with nine games played at tight end for the Texans with 20 receptions for 178 yards and three touchdowns. There was also Pharaoh Brown, who in 15 games totaled 23 receptions for 171 yards and no touchdowns. Antony Auclair in 16 games with the Texans collected five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Wydermyer in ’21 – his final season with the Aggies – saw him produce 515 yards receiving on 40 receptions, with four touchdowns, as he also averaged 12.9 yards per reception. His longest catch in ’21 was for 34 yards, as the 6’5″ junior completed his collegiate career.
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Houston Texans Draft: Is Wydermyer able to make blocks in the NFL?
The Texans will need a tight end who is capable of making a block or two in pass protection at times for Davis Mills, or especially in the rushing game as the team really needs to repair that part of the offense too.
The Draft Network has the following about Wydermyer and his pass blocking abilities entering the ’22 NFL Draft:
"“Wydermyer isn’t asked to pass block a ton, but when he is he does so at an above-average level.”"
If the Texans want a TE that stands out above the rest of the crowd, at this point of the draft process at least, then Wydermyer could be that player and is currently the No. 1 TE prospect for CBS Sports.
Everyone knows that improvement is needed at TE for the Texans, but is it a second-round need? A lot of that depends on what they decide to do with the first-round pick they currently have at No. 3 overall, and if they gain any picks via some possible offseason trades.
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Wydermyer seems like he’ll be a solid choice for a second-round player – the Texans draft with the 37th overall pick for their second-round choice – so he could already be off the board. Whoever gains the talents of Wydermyer in the draft will be getting a good player with potential to be even better than he was at Texas A&M.