Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and the Houston Texans seem to be on a collision course.
Rattler is slated to be one of the top quarterback prospects after he completes another stellar season with the Sooners. The Texans could be in a position to draft him with their first-round pick as Houston could be the NFL equivalent of the Washington Generals for 17 games.
If the Texans were to draft Rattler, would they be able to get the best out of the former Phoenix Pinnacle High School product, or would he be the new Sam Darnold?
According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, one area where Rattler needs improvement is following through on his drops.
Where he needs to improve: Rattler has a bad habit of drifting at the top of his drop. He floats himself into unnecessary pressure and, at times, just falls off throws for no reason, decreasing his accuracy. I love his ability to extend plays, but when he has clean pockets, he needs to grind his cleats into the ground and deliver accurate footballs. His pocket awareness against the blitz is another area where he needs to improve. Hopefully that will come with more game reps and experience.
The Texans’ offensive line as a unit hasn’t exactly been the best at pass protection, and this is even with two-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil playing left tackle. In 2019, the Texans allowed the eighth-most sacks in the league with 49. In 2020, the Texans were tied for the second-most with 50.
If Rattler struggles in the pocket at the pro level, then teams will know that the secret to neutralizing him is keeping him from escaping outside, which is a more attainable goal for an NFL defense than it is for a college defense.
The fall will reveal what the Texans will need to do at quarterback.