The Houston Texans drafted tight end, Brevin Jordan, in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. The start of his career was far less than what many expected it to be. However, he could be the key to the Texans success for that very reason.
Brevin Jordan played for the University of Miami for four seasons before declaring for the NFL draft. In doing so, he caught many coaches eyes, but for some reason fell into the fifth-round of the draft. It was at that point in which the Texans came in and swooped him up. Now it’s up to Jordan to show all the teams around the league that they made a mistake not selecting him.
Jordan was my tight end two in the draft ranked only behind former University of Florida, and current Falcons tight end, Kyle Pitts. Respectively, it would’ve been pretty hard for anyone to beat out Pitts for the tight end one spot in my rankings, so Jordan shouldn’t be criticized for that.
Pitts was one of the best tight end prospects we’ve seen in quite a long time, and so Jordan being listed as my tight end two, still puts him in a very respectable tier. The only one who gave Jordan a run for his money was Pat Freiermuth. However, I gave the edge to Jordan and here is why:
What Made Texans Tight End Brevin Jordan A Top Tight End in College?
Kyle Pitts, as I stated above, was the clear number one tight end that year. There was no real discussion to be had on that matter. However, there was quite the debate on rather on who was better: Pat Freiermuth or Brevin Jordan? For me, it was Brevin Jordan.
Brevin Jordan
Looking back at my prospect profile for Jordan the one thing that always impressed me about his game was his ability to act as a receiver two for any given roster.
The league has transitioned a lot over the last couple decades with tight ends like Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Shannon Sharpe really acting more as a receiver than a tight end. It’s for that reason that I’ve begun to look at versatility and fit post-draft.
Some teams run a two tight end offense, some run a standard offense, but no matter what, every team has a tight end. Either a blocking one, or a receiving one- but there is always a tight end on the field for every team. And the Texans have a good one.
While at Miami, Jordan made so many plays that just caught my eye and I couldn’t help myself but make mental notes of them. Rather is was him making a catch in traffic, making a strong play to get extra yards, showing speed as he gets upfield, there is just so much to his game.
He was a great offensive player, and his strength, size, and offensive capabilities makes him such a great pickup for the Texans.
Why Is This Season Important for Jordan and the Texans?
So, I don’t think anyone can dispute that the Texans are not going to be a very good team this year. Is that fair? I think so. However, when you look at the AFC South, it’s not a very strong division. The Texans could compete if they perform. And that’s where Jordan comes into play.
Jordan played in nine games this past season for the Texans. In those nine games that he played in, he was able to record 20 receptions for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Which, all things considered, three touchdowns in nine games is pretty good. Not great, but good.
This season, Jordan will likely be the starting tight end for the Texans but there’s more to it than that- he’ll probably end up being the second option behind Brandin Cooks this year.
I know that many people think that John Metchie or Nico Collins will be the wide receiver two, and you’re right. But, I find it unlikely that either one of them will be the second option on this Texans team.
John Metchie is coming off an injury and is a rookie receiver who still has to adjust to the NFL game. Being at Alabama for his college career, he had all the talent around him to make sure his job was easy. With Bryce Young throwing him the ball and Jameson Williams on the other side of the field, Metchie was the second option on the Alabama Crimson Tide team which I expect accounted for a lot of his success. As for Collins, it’s a little bit of a different story.
Collins is a lot like Jordan, but their route tree’s are very different. Collins plays a game very similar to Bengals receiver, Tee Higgins. They play a great possession game downfield. But unlike Higgins, Collins struggles with his cuts which makes creating separation incredibly hard for him. It’s for that reason that I don’t think he can be trusted as the second option. That being said, it leaves Jordan.
I feel Jordan’s big frame, strong hands, and his route tree fits Davis Mills’ game perfectly. He can make plays with his run after catch ability, he can be a red zone target, he can play off the block, and he can play across the middle of the field. He’s by far and away the most versatile receiver they have in that aspect.
If he can take the step up this season, Jordan could become a very dependable receiving option for Mills and the Texans organization.