Texans' John Metchie III on C.J. Stroud vs. Bryce Young: 'They're Both Great QBs'
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver John Metchie III was asked this week to compare Bryce Young with C.J. Stroud; the former his collegiate teammate at Alabama and the latter now his teammate in the NFL.
The 23-year-old managed to avoid saying anything controversial in his assessment.
“They’re both great quarterbacks, I would say. I guess if you want to say similarities, they’re both great quarterbacks," Metchie said. "Aside from that, they’re two individual people, so there’s a lot of differences there as well because they have completely different personalities and stuff like that. But as far as their ability to play ball, they’re both great at it.”
Metchie and Young made beautiful music during their final season together at Alabama in 2021. Metchie -- who was the No. 2 receiver to eventual Detroit Lions first-round pick Jameson Williams -- hauled in 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns. Metchie was a Second-Team All-SEC selection, while Young took home the Heisman Trophy.
Unfortunately for Metchie, he tore his left ACL in December of 2021, during the SEC Championship Game. That, and his eventual battle with leukemia, cost him all of what would have been his rookie season in 2022. Still, the Texans are hopeful that the second-round pick will emerge as a weapon in an offense desperate for pass catchers.
For the Texans -- who took Stroud No. 2 overall, a pick after Young went to the Carolina Panthers -- it's imperative that some targets emerge for their rookie quarterback in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will likely lean on the running back duo of Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary early in the season, while Stroud gets his feet wet at the NFL level. But the Texans obviously see star potential in Stroud, and while Houston signed tight end Dalton Schultz and receiver Robert Woods this offseason, Metchie developing into a long-term contributor would be a great development for the team.
Perhaps at the end of this upcoming season, Metchie will be able to better assess how Stroud compares to Young. Whether or not he's willing to give his honest assessment publicly might be a different story.
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