Who Should I Start? John Metchie III or Devontez Walker

Thursday, May 1, 12:17 AM

The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander projects Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III to be left off the 53-man roster entering the start of the 2025 season this fall after the team added receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in last week's draft. Houston also added Christian Kirk, Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios in free agency this offseason, creating a lot of competition for the 24-year-old, who has battled injuries and a cancer scare to produce just 40 catches for 412 yards and one touchdown since being drafted in the second round (44th overall) in 2022 out of Alabama. Alexander expects Metchie, Xavier Hutchinson, Berrios and Watson to be battling for the final two receiver spots this summer behind Higgins, Kirk and Nico Collins. Metchie is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 and could be a trade candidate if it's clear he's not going to make the roster.

Thursday, June 26, 2:22 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker was a fourth-round selection in last year's NFL Draft, but the North Carolina product only played in nine games and caught just one pass for 21 yards and a touchdown. Entering his sophomore campaign, the 24-year-old said he feels more comfortable and ready to play at full speed. Head coach John Harbaugh is optimistic about the speedster's future. "Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour," Harbaugh said. "He's got a chance to be really good." While Walker figures to open the season as no better than the WR4 behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins, he could be worth a final-round dart throw in best ball formats based on the offseason praise. However, it would be a surprise if he's a consistent fantasy producer and worth rostering in 12-team setups.