The Houston Texans might have needed a backup quarterback since Davis Mills is entering a contract season.
That doesn’t mean the back-to-back AFC South champions should have drafted a gunslinger ahead of a pass protector, regardless of if he plays in 2025 or not.
Instead of waiting until the seventh round, general manager Nick Caserio traded up into the sixth round to select Florida quarterback Graham Mertz with the 197th overall pick. Mertz should compete for the No. 3 job and eventually move up the pecking order to No. 2 if Mills walks in free agency.
A former four-star talent at Wisconsin, Mertz transferred to Florida and impressed in 2023. He put together a very productive first season with the Gators, throwing for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns, against three interceptions.
Mertz was expected to start all of the 2024 season, but a torn ACL limited him to just six games. He put together a 76.6 percent completion percentage while throwing for 791 yards and six touchdowns, against just two interceptions, before being sidelined for the rest of the year.
Fans aren’t too concerned about when they will see Mertz suit up this season. The hope is never in a real game since that would mean something happened to C.J. Stroud. Perhaps something will since the Texans aren’t keen in adding more help to the offensive line outside of Aireontae Ersery in the second round.
And yes, fans let their frustrations be heard over social media. At least they might have been able to understand a Quinn Ewers coming to town over a fifth-year veteran who’s suffered two season-ending injuries.
How social media reacted to the Texans selecting Florida QB Graham Mertz RB at No. 197:
Graham Mertz over Quinn Ewers. Weird universe. Also, if you’re a college QB with non-elite traits, make that NIL money as long as you can, exhaust your eligibility, open up a car dealership in your college’s town and live without nonsense for life.
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) April 26, 2025
An injured Graham Mertz was picked before Quinn Ewers 🤯
Logo holds weight 🐊 pic.twitter.com/psL1effVzD
— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) April 26, 2025
Lol why https://t.co/VX2863DQLl
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) April 26, 2025
I’M SICK! https://t.co/2uDIOl7UVwpic.twitter.com/mwf7hMSpWV
— Teal City Sports Tweets (@JagsfanForever1) April 26, 2025
Not a big deal, but Graham Mertz feels like a waste of a draft pick. He wasn’t even a good college QB.
Why not take a stab at any interior OL?
— Mike Meltser (@MikeMeltser) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz over Quinn Ewers?? pic.twitter.com/Ih12A1DhTF
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) April 26, 2025
Now that Graham Mertz has been selected, I want to see the same outrage for Quinn Ewers not being drafted as we did for Sanders.
— Dan Divjak (@IceShark8) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz going ahead of Quinn Ewers is hillarious.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 26, 2025
Did not anticipate the Texans drafting a quarterback before a guard.
Also don’t think Graham Mertz is related to Fred Mertz. https://t.co/iLaD8tRIy8pic.twitter.com/pUviWNsW5W
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz is a NFL Quarterback (?) pic.twitter.com/xrzw6XmJzH
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz before Quinn Ewers pic.twitter.com/94hHnGPBvN
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 26, 2025
Mel Kiper is right. NFL is clueless about evaluating QBs. In no world is Graham Mertz a better prospect than Quinn.
— AGGRESSIVELY OPTIMISTIC TEXAS FAN 😈 (@TexasHookem22) April 26, 2025
Quick healer: Five months after ACL surgery, former Florida QB Graham Mertz threw a 58-pass script at his pro day today with only four balls hitting the ground. #Saints OC Doug Nussmeier was there, as well as QB coaches for Houston, Miami and Dallas. pic.twitter.com/fNfoAwQgdc
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 28, 2025
Texans drafted Graham Mertz out of boredom
— Paul Booming (@blakebooming) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz hearing he got drafted by the Texans pic.twitter.com/VeAMDE714o
— Tomorrow’s Retro (@tomorrowsretro) April 26, 2025
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL fans react to Texans drafting Graham Mertz over Texas’ Quinn Ewers
The Houston Texans might have needed a backup quarterback since Davis Mills is entering a contract season.
That doesn’t mean the back-to-back AFC South champions should have drafted a gunslinger ahead of a pass protector, regardless of if he plays in 2025 or not.
Instead of waiting until the seventh round, general manager Nick Caserio traded up into the sixth round to select Florida quarterback Graham Mertz with the 197th overall pick. Mertz should compete for the No. 3 job and eventually move up the pecking order to No. 2 if Mills walks in free agency.
A former four-star talent at Wisconsin, Mertz transferred to Florida and impressed in 2023. He put together a very productive first season with the Gators, throwing for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns, against three interceptions.
Mertz was expected to start all of the 2024 season, but a torn ACL limited him to just six games. He put together a 76.6 percent completion percentage while throwing for 791 yards and six touchdowns, against just two interceptions, before being sidelined for the rest of the year.
Fans aren’t too concerned about when they will see Mertz suit up this season. The hope is never in a real game since that would mean something happened to C.J. Stroud. Perhaps something will since the Texans aren’t keen in adding more help to the offensive line outside of Aireontae Ersery in the second round.
And yes, fans let their frustrations be heard over social media. At least they might have been able to understand a Quinn Ewers coming to town over a fifth-year veteran who’s suffered two season-ending injuries.
How social media reacted to the Texans selecting Florida QB Graham Mertz RB at No. 197:
Graham Mertz over Quinn Ewers. Weird universe. Also, if you’re a college QB with non-elite traits, make that NIL money as long as you can, exhaust your eligibility, open up a car dealership in your college’s town and live without nonsense for life.
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) April 26, 2025
An injured Graham Mertz was picked before Quinn Ewers 🤯
Logo holds weight 🐊 pic.twitter.com/psL1effVzD
— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) April 26, 2025
Lol why https://t.co/VX2863DQLl
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) April 26, 2025
I’M SICK! https://t.co/2uDIOl7UVwpic.twitter.com/mwf7hMSpWV
— Teal City Sports Tweets (@JagsfanForever1) April 26, 2025
Not a big deal, but Graham Mertz feels like a waste of a draft pick. He wasn’t even a good college QB.
Why not take a stab at any interior OL?
— Mike Meltser (@MikeMeltser) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz over Quinn Ewers?? pic.twitter.com/Ih12A1DhTF
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) April 26, 2025
Now that Graham Mertz has been selected, I want to see the same outrage for Quinn Ewers not being drafted as we did for Sanders.
— Dan Divjak (@IceShark8) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz going ahead of Quinn Ewers is hillarious.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 26, 2025
Did not anticipate the Texans drafting a quarterback before a guard.
Also don’t think Graham Mertz is related to Fred Mertz. https://t.co/iLaD8tRIy8pic.twitter.com/pUviWNsW5W
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz is a NFL Quarterback (?) pic.twitter.com/xrzw6XmJzH
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz before Quinn Ewers pic.twitter.com/94hHnGPBvN
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 26, 2025
Mel Kiper is right. NFL is clueless about evaluating QBs. In no world is Graham Mertz a better prospect than Quinn.
— AGGRESSIVELY OPTIMISTIC TEXAS FAN 😈 (@TexasHookem22) April 26, 2025
Quick healer: Five months after ACL surgery, former Florida QB Graham Mertz threw a 58-pass script at his pro day today with only four balls hitting the ground. #Saints OC Doug Nussmeier was there, as well as QB coaches for Houston, Miami and Dallas. pic.twitter.com/fNfoAwQgdc
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 28, 2025
Texans drafted Graham Mertz out of boredom
— Paul Booming (@blakebooming) April 26, 2025
Graham Mertz hearing he got drafted by the Texans pic.twitter.com/VeAMDE714o
— Tomorrow’s Retro (@tomorrowsretro) April 26, 2025
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL fans react to Texans drafting Graham Mertz over Texas’ Quinn Ewers
