Pro Football Focus’s Preseason Quarterback Rankings is the Preseason Hope Texans Fans Need

Is that a light on the horizon?

The Houston Texans haven’t had a first round pick since 2019, when they selected Tytus Howard in the first round of the NFL Draft. Since then, because of Laremy Tunsil, they’ve been sitting around looking and watching while others improved their football team. The roster is in shambles. They lack young talent and cornerstone veterans. Their top five quarterback requested a trade before being swept up in sexual assault allegations. It’s barren and empty.

The only hope for the future is the Texans have at least two first round picks in Watson, and they have finally have their own next April. Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills will probably last for one season. Houston should have another, and hopefully multiple, early first round selections to improve their roster next year.

Most Texans fans will drop away in week six and won’t be heard from until next March, when they talk themselves into the next stage of Nick Caserio’s master plan to continue their rebuild. And when they arrive again, we’ll be here together discussing which quarterback the Texans should select.

Pro Football Focus has the hopium you need. They have ranked the college quarterbacks entering the 2021 season. Of the 130, Rattler is ELITE, and in a tier of his own.

1. OKLAHOMA: SPENCER RATTLER

Rattler took over the Oklahoma starting job as a redshirt freshman last season, hoping to continue the Sooners’ run of dominance at the quarterback position under head coach Lincoln Riley. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound signal-caller lived up to expectations, earning a 92.5 passing grade that ranked sixth among Power Five quarterbacks in the PFF College era. And it’s worth noting that the five quarterbacks ahead of him were all upperclassmen, whereas Rattler was a redshirt freshman.

Rattler has a little bit of Texas Tech Patrick Mahomes in him, both stylistically and situationally. He has an ultra-quick, effortless release to pair with jaw-dropping arm talent and elite playmaking ability outside of structure. The Oklahoma quarterback produced a 91.3 passing grade and a 69.7% accurate-pass rate when creating off structure in 2020, both of which led all FBS passers. That passing grade beat out Joe Burrow for the best grade ever earned by a Power Five quarterback.

Rattler is the best player returning to college football and should be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy when the 2021 college football season kicks off on Aug. 28.

A Rattler in Houston is perfect. It’s a level of terrible to strive too. Hopefully, once the season is probably over come week six, Houston can switch their gears like how Jacksonville did, and throw in the towel and play the kids, to strive for the highest draft position they can get.