Last season, the wide receiver focus for the Houston Texans was on DeAndre Hopkins. He would continually be asked to do the job of two, even three receivers on offense because the Texans didn’t have many other options.
Jaelen Strong wasn’t the same receiver as he was in college and Nate Washington can only do so much, so the burden was on Hopkins.
This offseason, a huge goal of the Texans has been to get Hopkins help, by bringing in a number of other receivers. They drafted Will Fuller in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft but quite possibly one of the most interesting decisions was drafting Braxton Miller 85th overall.
Fuller is likely to be a deep option due to his speed while Hopkins is a versatile receiver who can do it all.
Miller, who is now fully transitioning into a receiver, can create some serious match up problems for the Texans on offense, either as a slot receiver and a potential mid-range target.
Texans hoping for big things
Moving from being a quarterback can lead to criticism and opinions such as the move being nothing more than a gimmick. It’s worked for receivers like Julian Edelman and the Texans are hoping it can work for Miller.
Speaking to the Houston Chronicle, Texans general manager Rick Smith said that Miller is a “versatile player” who is also an “explosive player.” Miller ran a 4.5 seconds 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and then ran a 4.41 40 yard dash at his Ohio State Pro Day.
He was elusive in college as a quarterback, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in both 2012 and 2013. The Texans are hoping that translates to his move to receiver.
Picking up compliments from coaches
With the Texans general manager saying positive things about Miller, it’s no surprise it also comes from his coaches.
Texans receivers coach Sean Ryan said that Miller “wants to work at things” and that he is showing that he wants to learn. To succeed as a wide receiver in the NFL, you’ve got to be intelligent and according to Ryan, Miller is “smart enough to learn.”
The Texans aren’t expecting DeAndre Hopkins like production from Miller in his first year, they just want him to show he has potential down the road and his third round selection could look like a steal.