Houston Texans: 3 players to keep an eye on during training camp
With the Houston Texans training camp days away, there are many names that fans should monitor. Of course, there is the third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr., that most will be eager to watch as he brings a lot of hope for improvement to the secondary.
There is returning veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who is more motivated than ever to help this team improve. There is also second-year quarterback Davis Mills, who fans are looking to lead this team back to the playoffs and remove all doubt people may have as him being the starter at quarterback.
But, there are other players we must keep an eye on during the upcoming Texans training camp as they will be very important players for overall success in Houston.
The following players have much to gain or lose in 2022, but their upside can help the Texans push it to the next level, and that’s what the Texans need this season as they add to the franchise rebuild.
Marlon Mack is one of the newest additions to the Texans roster. Mack is coming from the Indianapolis Colts, a bitter rival of the Texans in the AFC South. In 2019, Marlon Mack was one of the league’s top running backs, having over 1,000 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards a carry.
When Mack receives 15-20 carries he can consistently rush over 100 yards in a game. Mack dominated the Kansas City Chiefs as a member of the Colts during a game in Week 5 of 2019, rushing for over 132 yards, and against the Chargers (Week 1, 2019), rushing for over 174 yards and a touchdown.
Mack was returning from an Achilles injury in 2021 — with the injury happening in 2020 — so he played very little in Indianapolis those two seasons, but all signs point toward him being the starting back in 2022 for the Texans in his return as a full-time starting running back.
We must keep an eye on whether Mack will split carries with rookie running back Dameon Pierce, as Mack could not have a full workload and still be a success with Houston.
Mack should be the day one starter, but that could change come if Pierce shows out in camp or during the regular season. Pierce has an opportunity to become the starting running back eventually, that is if he produces at an outstanding level during training camp, so we must watch this running back battle closely.
The 2022 season is significant for all players, especially right tackle Tytus Howard. The Texans exercised Howard’s fifth-year option, so Howard has this season to prove to the organization that he is here to stay.
Howard has moved around the offensive line, playing guard and both tackle positions since being a first round pick in 2019, but he clarified he is a right tackle and even put it in his Twitter bio.
The Texans drafted guard Kenyon Green in 2022, which cements Howard as the right tackle this upcoming season. Since ’19 Howard has played in 37 games (all starts) with eight stats his rookie season in ’19, 14 starts in ’20, and 15 starts in ’21.
Howard allowed two sacks in ’21 (as he’s allowed two sacks per season in his first three years in the NFL), but Howard also collected eight penalties in ’21, playing a total of 927 snaps according to PFF.
If Howard comes out on fire, it will be huge for the Texans offensive line and the entire Texans offense.
The team needs a solid offensive line, and this year they have the chance to make a considerable step up. Howard, along with left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who plays an essential role in this team’s success need to stay on the field, and if that happens the offense improves greatly as a whole unit in 2021.
Rookie wide receiver John Metchie will elevate the Houston Texans offense in a big way in 2022. Metchie is a gifted young rookie with all the gifts that will take the Texans to the next level once he’s completely healthy and gets accustomed to the NFL level of play.
Metchie is a magician with his footwork, and very few rookies encompass his ability to get off the line of scrimmage. Even though Metchie may not be the fastest player at the wide receiver position, his insane quickness allows him to get separation, and that’s going to be exciting to watch as he’ll most likely play from the slot.
As fans of the Texans, none of us are truly sure if Metchie will be 100-percent when training camp starts, but he might see some action early, and the most important thing is Metchie becomes healthy for the regular season.
The projected starting receivers in Houston are Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, and if Metchie is healthy, he could fill in as the third receiver for the Texans. Potentially, Metchie could become the second option behind Cooks, again, the important thing is to just get the rookie wide receiver on the field in Week 1 against the Colts.
Metchie is more likely the third wide receiver option at the moment, as Houston expects Collins to have a big year this season too, in his second year. Even though the Houston wide receivers are flying under the radar, don’t be surprised to see all three Texans wide receivers have very respectable seasons with Davis Mills at their quarterback in 2022.