Texans John Metchie Health Update: WR’s 2 ‘Elite’ Skills?
After being selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Houston Texans receiver John Metchie hoped to make an immediate impact on the team, despite tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship game a few months before.
However, on July 24, just days before training camp, Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, sidelining him for his entire rookie campaign. Even though this form of leukemia is the most curable, it was unknown at the time if the former Alabama standout would ever see the field on Sundays.
Metchie's condition has immensely improved since then as he participated in Houston's voluntary minicamp in late April. However, he was sidelined throughout OTA's due to a hamstring strain.
This minor setback won't last long as Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans expects him to be involved during training camp.
“Everything is on target,” Ryans said, “I think Metchie will be good to go for training camp."
Should Metchie be healthy for Week 1, his sophomore campaign is one to watch.
Metchie hauled in 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns during his final year at Alabama, finishing in the top 10 among SEC receivers in each category.
What do DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy all have in common? The answer: they are all proficient route runners in the NFL who went to Alabama. Metchie is no different, as route-running is his best trait as on the college level he consistently got open at all three levels of the field.
Metchie's most mentioned weakness in his very small list of shortcomings is his speed. Despite being able to reach open space at an elite level, Metchie is said to lack the ability to outrun a defender on a go-route.
However, it can be argued that Metchie makes up for this with his hands. The soon-to-be 23-year-old (July 18) had just 15 drops on 171 targets throughout his collegiate career and excelled at hauling in passes when under heavy pressure.
The Texans selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping he'd be the facilitator to Metchie and the rest of the receiving group’s success. Stroud has a ton of arm talent and accuracy to find Metchie, Nico Collins, and Robert Woods in tight spots.
The Texans think they have the talent and potential to be considered one of the most underrated groups of skill players in the league. … and a healthy John Metchie is ready to be a part of the move-up.
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