NFL fans react to Texans drafting Florida's Graham Mertz over Texas' Quinn Ewers
The Houston Texans might have needed a backup quarterback since Davis Mills is entering a contract season.
That doesn't mean the back-to-back AFC South champions should have drafted a gunslinger ahead of a pass protector, regardless of if he plays in 2025 or not.
Advertisement
Instead of waiting until the seventh round, general manager Nick Caserio traded up into the sixth round to select Florida quarterback Graham Mertz with the 197th overall pick. Mertz should compete for the No. 3 job and eventually move up the pecking order to No. 2 if Mills walks in free agency.
A former four-star talent at Wisconsin, Mertz transferred to Florida and impressed in 2023. He put together a very productive first season with the Gators, throwing for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns, against three interceptions.
Mertz was expected to start all of the 2024 season, but a torn ACL limited him to just six games. He put together a 76.6 percent completion percentage while throwing for 791 yards and six touchdowns, against just two interceptions, before being sidelined for the rest of the year.
Fans aren't too concerned about when they will see Mertz suit up this season. The hope is never in a real game since that would mean something happened to C.J. Stroud. Perhaps something will since the Texans aren't keen in adding more help to the offensive line outside of Aireontae Ersery in the second round.
Advertisement
And yes, fans let their frustrations be heard over social media. At least they might have been able to understand a Quinn Ewers coming to town over a fifth-year veteran who's suffered two season-ending injuries.
How social media reacted to the Texans selecting Florida QB Graham Mertz RB at No. 197:
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL fans react to Texans drafting Graham Mertz over Texas' Quinn Ewers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Updated WNBA Power Rankings Make Clear Choice Between Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky
Updated WNBA Power Rankings Make Clear Choice Between Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese have quickly become two of the league's biggest names, drawing national attention to each of their respective franchises. Advertisement The Fever and Sky first faced off in the season opener on May 17, with Indiana winning convincingly at home (93-58), led by Clark's triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists). During the game, she was assessed a flagrant one foul after making excessive contact with Reese while defending a second-chance opportunity. In their second matchup Saturday night, Indiana played short-handed as Clark was sidelined with a quad strain. Despite the circumstances, the Sky failed to defend their home floor, with no player scoring in double figures. The Fever won that one, too, by a score of 79-52. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Meanwhile, on Tuesday, ESPN released power rankings that highlighted a significant drop-off between the two teams. Advertisement The Fever, previously ranked ninth, moved up three spots to sixth after capturing back-to-back wins this week over the Washington Mystics and the Sky. The Fever now hold a record of 4-4 after losing three straight. As for the Sky, they previously ranked eighth and shifted down four spots to twelfth after losing their only game of the week to none other than the Fever. They now sit at 1-7 on the year and will be without veteran playmaker Courtney Vandersloot for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL against Indiana. Here's ESPN's full power rankings from Tuesday: Minnesota Lynx New York Liberty Seattle Storm Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream Indiana Fever Las Vegas Aces Golden State Valkyries Washington Mystics Los Angeles Sparks Connecticut Sun Chicago Sky Dallas Wings Related: Lexie Hull Reacts to Sophie Cunningham's Struggling Admission This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Breece Hall taking simple mentality in his make-or-break Jets season
Breece Hall said he went 'back to the basics' this offseason after a disappointing 2024 season both for himself and the Jets. Hall returns for his fourth season to a much different team. Gone are the general manager and head coach who drafted him — with Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh now in Philadelphia and San Francisco, respectively. In their places are Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, and a whole new set of evaluators Hall needs to impress. 'I'm around new GM, new coaches, a lot of new coaches. For me, I've got to go prove I am the guy. That's every day,' Hall said Wednesday during the Jets minicamp. 'I feel like my skill set [is] that I'm a three-down back that's second to none. … We have a great running back room with a lot of healthy competition, but my mentality is every day I want to prove that I'm the best back on this roster, one of the best backs in the league.' This is a big season for Hall, who has been steady but has not quite ever realized the potential he showed as a rookie before he tore his ACL. His rushing yards dropped last year (from 998 in 2023 to 876 in 2024), and he scored five rushing touchdowns for the second straight season. Hall is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The running back market got a boost last year thanks to Saquon Barkley, but it is still a position that many teams do not want to reward with big contracts. Jets running back Breece Hall (20) practices at minicamp in Florham Park, NJ. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Glenn has also spoken about the team taking a committee approach at running back, with second-year players Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis having big roles. That could take away from what Hall can do. Despite having to potentially share the load, Hall still should have a major role in this offense. Last season, he somehow did not have one game with 20 carries. That seems unlikely to happen this year with new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand coming with Glenn from the Lions, a team that was sixth in rushing yards in the NFL last season. 'He's got a very good skill set,' Engstrand said of Hall. 'But he's a worker, like I said the last time we were in here, he's just a worker. He's going to go to work, he works on his craft, he's detailed, and he is an all-around player. He's not, I would say, not pigeonholed into one type of back. He's not an inside runner, not an outside runner, he kind of can do a lot of all of it. And then again, the pass game is huge for us, too.' Hall's name came up in trade rumors around the draft. The Jets pushed back against those rumors, saying they never even took a call about Hall. Still, his name was floating around the Internet and on social media, and Hall saw it. Jets running back Breece Hall speaks to the media at minicamp in Florham Park, NJ. Bill Kostroun/New York Post 'I was seeing it just like everybody else was seeing it,' Hall said. 'If people feel like you're not doing your job, you're going to be replaced. It didn't happen. I'm here. A.G. called me and told me he wanted me to be here. For me, that meant a lot.' Hall said he felt like he received a lot of the blame for last year's 5-12 season. 'It's always frustrating as a team and as an individual when you're not winning games and playing as well as you expect,' Hall said. 'After the season, there's always somebody to blame or someone the blame gets put on. A lot of it just so happened to be on me. It was like, 'OK, just get back to the drawing board, get back to working hard.' I know what I can do. I know the potential I have, but potential only goes so far.'
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
Miami Marlins join efforts to restore defaced Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso mural
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins are joining efforts to restore the defaced mural of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, which was marked with racist graffiti last week. City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King announced Wednesday that she along with the Marlins, Urgent, Inc., Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and other community activists will lead the restoration at Dorsey Park, where community leaders said a 7-year-old boy first discovered the vandalism last Sunday and asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant.
