The Houston Texans are preparing for the 2022 NFL season with quarterback Davis Mills set to be their starter once again. While some believe the club might be in the market for an upgrade, it seems NFL teams view the situation quite differently.
Despite recent NFL Draft rumors, it remains clear front offices around the league aren’t particularly high on the 2022 draft-eligible quarterbacks. While there is some momentum building for Malik Willis, the feeling around the NFL is there isn’t a surefire starter available this year.
- Davis Mills stats (2021): 2,664 yards, 16-10 TD-INT, 88.8 QB rating, 2-9 record
The Texans would seemingly be in a great position to draft one of the best signal-callers available. However, the club has expressed confidence in second-year quarterback Davis Mills and that sentiment is reportedly shared by multiple NFL teams.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, multiple teams that evaluated the 2022 quarterback class believe Mills would be the best passer available if he was draft-eligible.
It might come as a surprise considering Houston selected Mills with the 67th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, there are genuine reasons to believe the franchise will give him another season as the starter.
Why Davis Mills earned the starting job in 2022
The 23-year-old certainly offers a quality resume. he was a five-star recruit in 2017, rated by 247 Sports‘ as the best pro-style quarterback in the nation. Injuries and inconsistency derailed his career at Stanford but he showed promising signs as a rookie in 2021.
Across his final five starts, Mills showed improved accuracy and better decision-making. Despite operating behind a weak offensive line with a poor supporting cast, the young quarterback showed promise and developed under Pep Hamilton.
- Davis Mills stats (Week 13-17): 68.4% completion rate, 9-2 TD-INT, 102.44. QB rating, 1,258 yards
Houston is keeping left tackle Laremy Tunsil for the upcoming season and it’s likely that Brandin Cooks will remain with the team. While neither player seems to be in the club’s long-term plans, they are impact players who will make it easier for the Texans to properly evaluate Mills in 2022.
That’s what the upcoming season is about. Houston wants to enter the 2023 offseason knowing if it has a quarterback it can build around or if it will need to use one of the top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft on a new face of the franchise.
If Mills performs well and the Texans still finish near the bottom of the standings, don’t be surprised if a quarterback-needy team trades a Day 2 pick for Mills next spring.