Houston, we have a quarterback. The Texans traded up from the 25th to the 12th selection in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night and used that 12th pick to select DeShaun Watson, quarterback from Clemson University. In order to acquire the 12th pick, the Texans sent the 25th pick plus their first round selection in 2018 to the Cleveland Browns.
Watson passed for over 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior last season in leading Clemson to the national championship. He joins a Texans team that had only two quarterbacks, Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden, on its roster after trading Brock Osweiler to Cleveland last month.
After being drafted, Watson told reporters he's excited to join the Texans. "You're getting a guy who's going to come in and work, play his role, learn from Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden, and just don't even say anything, keep my mouth shut and just work and whenever my name is called and my opportunity comes I'll take advantage of it," he said. "I can't wait to get to Houston and call it my new city."
Texans General Manager Rick Smith told reporters that the plan for now is to go into the season with Savage as the starter and Watson working as a backup. Texans Head Coach Bill O'Brien echoed that sentiment. "The biggest thing (Watson) is going to have to do coming in right away, which I know he's going to do, is to really just put his head down and go to work, and really start to learn what we do and what it's all about in the NFL," said O’Brien.
Get more info on DeShaun Watson and the Texans draft at Sportstalk 790.