With Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston getting all of the attention heading into the NFL Draft, Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty will be forced to wait their turns as both quarterbacks are expected to get selected in the second round. Hundley has started garnering more attention as teams slowly realize they will miss out on Mariota in the upcoming draft and the former UCLA standout is starting to make some surprise visits.
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Hundley will be taking a visit to Houston Texans as the team is very interested in the upcoming rookie quarterback. The move is surprising considering the Texans opted to re-sign Ryan Mallett to a contract while also bringing in Brian Hoyer. They also have Tom Savage who drafted last season. Is Hundley necessary to the team?
Looking at the Texans quarterback rotation, Hoyer is a short-term option. Savage is relatively unknown considering the only time he saw the field last year he got injured. Mallett has been the player everyone is ready to see on the field. Head coach Bill O'Brien has been extremely complementary of the quarterback who re-signed in free agency and even touted him as the potential starter on Week 1.
"He's smart, and he's a hard worker, and he understands our system," O'Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. "I like the fact that when he wasn't playing he was really into the game. He listened to every play call on an earpiece. There are a lot of things that make me believe he can be a starter in this league."
Hundley could be used as insurance in case the quarterback plans fail for Houston. If he were to be drafted, someone will be getting released. Mallett is safe, but the jury would be out on Hoyer and Savage as the Texans are unlikely to enter the season with four quarterbacks in the rotation. Players like Arian Foster and DeAndre Hopkins have been very complimentary of Mallett and what he can bring to the offense, so the interest in Hundley could just be Houston doing their do diligence on draft prospects.
The Texans are also eyeing wide receiver upgrades after letting Andre Johnson go. The team has Hopkins as their No. 1 while adding players like Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington in free agency. However, they are looking at draft prospects. According to NFL Media analyst Chris Conway via NFL.com, DeVante Parker, Chris Conley and Jaelen Strong would all be solid additions to the team as they aim to replace the long-time veteran.