Lovie Smith on John Metchie III progress: 'He is going to play this year'

On3 imageby:Griffin McVeigh05/13/22

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When the Houston Texans drafted wide receiver John Metchie out of Alabama, they knew it would take some time for him to be on the field. Metchie tore his ACL in the SEC Championship early in the month of December and to make a full recovery, will miss an extended period of time.

Houston head coach Lovie Smith provided an update on how Metchie is progressing, saying the team is still figuring out the exact timeline. Although Metchie is not close to 100% yet, Love did definitely say the wide receiver will play during the 2022 season.

“We’re in process of seeing exactly when he’ll be ready to go,” Smith said. “He will be ready to go. He’s not 100 percent yet. He is going to play this year.”

Metchie was selected No. 44 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft but before his injury, was seen as a potential first-round pick. He never emerged as a true No. 1 threat while in Tuscaloosa, playing alongside five other Day One selection at Alabama but had his breakout season during 2021. The wide receiver caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. Had he played during the College Football Playoff, the numbers could have been even greater.

Now, the plan is to get Metchie back to full health and eventually have him be the franchise’s top offensive weapon going forward. Houston had a bottom five passing offense last season, only having one receiver over 500 yards on the year. When Metchie gets back from his injury, Smith and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will have a top playmaker at their disposal.

John Metchie discusses relationship with Houston Texans, Lovie Smith

The Houston Texans drafted Metchie on Day Two of the 2022 NFL Draft, providing head coach Lovie Smith with an offensive weapon to play alongside Brandin Cooks as the team evaluates where it must rebuild using the many draft picks it holds.

During his introductory press conference, John Metchie spoke about the relationship he has developed with Texans head coach Lovie Smith and the rest of the staff throughout the draft process.

“I think Houston was my first visit,” said Metchie. “I had a lot of visits, but I think Houston was my very first visit, so I guess that says something. … I think it’s just somewhere I’ll thrive under coach Lovie Smith and coach (Pep) Hamilton. I get along really well with them and I can’t wait to actually get to do the football part with them.”