Houston Texans: Expectations For Jaelen Strong

By Joel Childers | Jul 22, 2015

Does anybody have any real idea what the offense in Space City will look like this season? If you do, please let me know, but I think the Houston Texans may be one of the hardest teams to predict for 2015. This uncertainty on offense could help rookie wide receiver Jaelen Strong get off to a fast start, or it could cause him to flounder in a sea of questions.

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Head coach Bill O’Brien is only in his second year in the NFL, and he’s promoted former quarterbacks coach George Godsey to offensive coordinator, so it’s hard to know exactly what their strategy will be.

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At running back the Texans have one of the league’s best in Arian Foster, but he’s faced plenty of injury issues in his career, and he’s not getting any younger. He’s only started 16 games once in his career and if he goes down that will change the team’s offensive strategy drastically, as they have relied heavily on the run recently.

One reason for this reliance on the run has been the questions at the quarterback position. This offseason Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are competing for the starting spot, and it should be quite the showdown in camp. Either quarterback could end up being great for his receivers, but they both also come with a lot of doubts.

Brian Hoyer is certainly more well-known with 17 career starts under his belt, but Ryan Mallett carries a lot more uncertainty after starting only two games in his four year career. I don’t think even Bill O’Brien knows what the quarterback situation will be for the Texans in 2015, but it’s a certainty that the success of the man behind center will determine the success of Jaelen Strong.

The other factor that will determine Strong’s production is the competition he sees from his fellow wide receivers. Luckily for Strong, there doesn’t seem to be much. DeAndre Hopkins is set to take over as Houston’s No. 1 receiver after the departure of long-time Texan Andre Johnson, but behind him there isn’t a ton of certainty.

Returning players Keshawn Martin and Demaris Johnson have combined for just over 1,000 yards in a combined six seasons in the league. Both players have potential as kick returners, but it’s unlikely they will factor much into the passing game.

Newcomers Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington however, are different stories. Both guys have had the experience of being the top receiver on their team at different points in their career, even if they aren’t expected to do so in Houston. When they were signed this offseason, these two players were expected to compete for the No. 2 receiver spot, but things may have changed after the NFL Draft.

The draft saw Houston take receivers Jaelen Strong in the third round, and Keith Mumphery in the fourth. Mumphery will be in a battle just to make the roster, but Strong is hoping to compete for a large amount of playing time this year. He hasn’t been able to do much for the team due to a hamstring injury he suffered on the first day of OTAs.

Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) makes a one handed catch for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats during the 88th annual territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This injury, as well as a fractured wrist that cause Strong to slide in the draft bring up questions of his durability, but his 75+ receptions in each of his seasons at Arizona State which may suggest otherwise.

NFL Analyst Mike Mayock thinks that Strong has some excellent NFL potential:

"“He has extremely strong hands,” said Mayock (via NFL.com) “He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald in body frame only. When the ball is in his hands, he’s a horse. He high points the ball as good as anybody in the country”"

He’s a big receiver with big-play ability, and should be able to go up and compete for every pass thrown his way. The issue that he will face, however, is the number of passes thrown his way.

Roughly 150 targets will be up for grabs after Johnson’s departure, but many of those will go to Hopkins and the rest will be spread across the board.

Jaelen Strong has a lot of talent, but it’s likely to take him awhile before he can emerge as a top-flight target. He could start the season as the third or even fourth receiver on the depth chart, but expect him to work his way up as the season progresses.

As the team solidifies its offensive strategy and the new starting quarterback fully steps into his role, the entire team will benefit, including Strong.

He should have a slow start to the year, but begin to emerge as a valuable weapon as the season progresses. Strong has a bright future ahead of him, and he may not fill up the stat sheet this season, but look for him to be a well-known name in the years to come.

2015 Predictions For Jaelen Strong:

40 catches, 500 yards, 5 touchdowns

Next: Texans Rookie Spotlight: Kevin Johnson

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