Deshaun Watson Named To ESPN’s “Under 25 All-Star Team”

Last season Deshaun Watson destroyed, dismantled, devoured, scrambled, exorcised, presided over, vanquished, vaporized, and obliterated his opponents over the course of six games. He was magical in a brand new offense, one that utilized play-fakes, took advantage of the threat of his feet, opened up downfield throws, and thrived despite the presence of a horrendous offensive line.

That was last year. Entering the 2018 season, ESPN polled its insiders and asked them to come up with a starting lineup of all-star NFL players under the age 25. Here’s the preface for the Under-25 all-stars:

What would a lineup of under-25 NFL all-stars look like? Glad you asked. We polled 43 of our NFL insiders -- reporters, analysts, former players -- to find out which players under age 25 will be the best at each position over the next three seasons.

The results included four Saints (the most of any team), three players drafted in April and nine players age 22 or younger.

Watson was the only player from the Texans named to the team. He received 28, or 63.1%, of the votes to be the team’s starting quarterback, beating out Jared Goff, Marcus Mariota, Patrick Mahomes, and Baker Mayfield. Here’s the write-up on Watson’s selection:

Few quarterbacks have galvanized a franchise as expediently as Watson did the Texans in 2017. Watson, 22, has exceptional football IQ and character to lead teammates paired with unique arm talent (particularly in the vertical passing game) and dynamic athletic ability.

You can read the rest of the article here, come up with an under-25 team yourself, and see if there are any other Texans you believe should be on the list.