2013 Houston Texans Draft: Where The Texans' Rookies Are Now

The news about Sam Montgomery moving to DE from OLB got me thinking. Your Houston Texans drafted nine (9) players in the 2013 NFL Draft. What have we seen from each of those picks three games into the 2013 regular season?

1. DeAndre Hopkins: Starting opposite Andre Johnson at wide receiver since Day One. Through three games, Hopkins has 18 catches for 243 yards (13.5 YPC) and 1 TD. He's been more than you could reasonably hope for from a rookie wide receiver. There's no reason to think he won't be starting at WR for the Texans for a long, long time.

2. D.J. Swearinger: He's in the rotation in Wade Phillps' dime package. Swearinger was never expected to start at safety this year with Danieal Manning and Ed Reed as established options ahead of him. I suppose you could point out that the coaches chose to give Shiloh Keo the start ahead of Swearinger for the first two games of the regular season when Reed was out, but that rings hollow to me. Feel free, however, to complain about Swearinger for other reasons, as long as you accept that he's a rookie and a learning curve is expected. He'll need to develop into more than a box safety, but again--he's a rookie. Patience.

3. Brennan Williams: Started the first training camp of his professional career on the PUP List. Williams missed most of the preseason, played in the final exhibition game in Arlington, and was then placed on Injured Reserve when the Texans cut their roster to 53. Oh, and then he had some sort of surgery to address a microfracture. Yikes. Not exactly a promising start. Here's hoping he gets healthy in time for 2014.

3. Sam Montgomery: Drafted to play outside linebacker and now moving to defensive end. Why the move? Because Montgomery is gaining weight, apparently.

Kubiak: We moved Sam Montgomery to defensive line. He was getting bigger, so we're letting him put weight on. #Texans

— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) September 25, 2013

Zuh? Montgomery has yet to dress for a regular season game. Barring a spate of injuries at DE, I don't expect that to change anytime soon. Until I see reason to believe otherwise, I believe Montgomery is redshirting his rookie year with the Texans.

4. Trevardo Williams: Despite the excitement over his potential as a pass rusher, Trevardo reportedly looked bad throughout training camp. Like a handful of his fellow draftees, he was placed on Injured Reserve when the Texans had to get their roster down to 53. Hopefully he'll watch a ton of film this year and be ready to contribute in 2014.

6. David Quessenberry: DQ flashed quite a bit in the preseason games, and some Texans fans thought he might find a way to force himself into the rotation at guard as a rookie. Unfortunately, Quessenberry broke his foot in practice with the regular season opener in San Diego mere days away. Like Brennan Williams, he underwent surgery and was placed on Injured Reserve. Of all the rookies banished to IR, Quessenberry is the one that hurts the most.

6. Chris Jones: Cut by the Texans, claimed by the Buccaneers, cut by the Buccaneers, and then claimed by the Patriots. Though he's yet to be active for a game with the Patriots, reports are they coveted him. I imagine Jones was a guy the Texans were hoping they could hide on their practice squad; alas, it didn't happen. From where I sit, it would appear rather unlikely Chris Jones contributes to the Texans in 2013.

6. Alan Bonner: There was some hope that Bonner might be able to make the roster on the strength of his special teams ability. Instead, Bonner joined Brennan Williams and Trevardo Williams on the Texans' Injured Reserve when the team cut its roster to 53. Time will tell if he can stick next year.

6. Ryan Griffin: It's early. Very early. But I believe it's fair to surmise that Ryan Griffin could have a future on this team as a tight end. Griffin is deservedly behind Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham on the depth chart now, but he's contributing on special teams and is getting a couple of reps at TE through the first few weeks. I'm bullish on Griffin in 2014 and beyond.

If you're keeping track, the Texans have sent four (4) of their 2013 draftees--Brennan Williams, Trevardo Williams, David Quessenberry, and Alan Bonner--to IR. They cut one rookie--Chris Jones--before the season started. One of their third-round draft picks--Sam Montgomery--made the 53-man roster but has yet to dress for a game and is now changing positions. Two draftees--D.J. Swearinger and Ryan Griffin--are contributing on special teams and in the occasional package (Swearinger more than Griffin). And one draftee is DeAndre Hopkins, about whom songs will soon be written.

Please do not mistake the above for me maligning the Texans' 2013 draft. It's far, far too early to go down that road. Furthermore, it speaks to the amount of veteran talent on the roster that rookies are having a hard time cracking the lineup. That's a good thing.

Then again, your opinion may differ.  What are your thoughts thus far on the Texans' 2013 draft class?

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