Houston Texans: Christian Hackenberg could be the answer
The Houston Texans need an answer under center and they should look at the 2016 NFL Draft for their next franchise quarterback. Christian Hackenberg could finally be the answer they’ve been looking for.
They always say that the ties that bind a coach and player stemming from their tenure together in college football could yield bigger results if taken to the NFL. Such is the possibility when it comes to the quarterback situation of the Houston Texans and why head coach Bill O’Brien might consider taking a chance on his old quarterback from Penn State.
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The draft will be here before we know it as teams that aren’t in the NFL playoffs now shift focus to the early stages of preparing draft boards, looking at tons of film and seeing which impact players they can draft.
When it comes to Hackenberg, he could be exactly what the Texans need to get over the hump in the AFC South. They made some good progress in 2015 but ultimately fell short in their appearance in the postseason due to again, lack of having a true franchise quarterback under center.
With the No. 22 pick in the draft this year, most of the premier quarterbacks will more than likely be off the board when the Texans are on the clock. Of course it’s too early to tell just what kind of draft stock Hackenberg will have, but if he’s available when the Texans are on, it’s a no-brainer to draft him.
He’s tough, has a canon for an arm and can extend plays to put his team in a position to keep those chains moving. He’s got great pocket awareness and can run the kind of high-octane offense the Texans envision of deploying. Imagine the kind of damage Hackenberg can do with the incredible talents of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins? The results would be incredible to say the least.
Many analysts believe that while Hackenberg isn’t perfect, he’ll need some development. He thrived under O’Brien during his freshman year in college which shows he’s coachable to the next level. If a reunion is in the cards for his transition to the NFL and if by some chance it’s with the Texans, it could be exactly what he needs to continue his development all while giving the team someone they can mold for a bright future.
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It’s not hard to figure out that perhaps O’Brien is the missing piece that Hackenberg’s been lacking the past few seasons at Penn State. He totaled 8,457 passing yards on 693 completions, throwing 48 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions. He started committing more turnovers after O’Brien left to the NFL but his skill-set and potential are still there. Hackenberg just needs to be under the wings of his old coach again to flourish.
Overall, it’s time the Texans had stability at quarterback since it’s the missing piece of the bigger puzzle. They were AFC South champions in 2015 at 9-7 and can easily push the envelope even further with the way their defense has been playing and offensive weapons stepping up.
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The difference maker always comes down to who is under center and if they want to keep that momentum going, they need someone like Hackenberg to take care of business for 2016 and years to come.