Who Should I Start? John Metchie III or Keandre Lambert-Smith

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.

Sunday, August 3, 3:19 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith continues to turn heads at training camp, following up his impressive preseason debut with another standout performance on Saturday. According to beat reporter Kris Rhim of ESPN, Lambert-Smith caught two deep touchdowns from quarterback Justin Herbert, with one being a 53-yard catch. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman praised the rookie, stating, "He took the practice field to the game." This consistent play follows his strong outing in the Hall of Fame Game, where he led the team with 43 receiving yards on two catches and a touchdown. While Lambert-Smith is currently not a factor in fantasy drafts, his strong camp and early preseason play are worth monitoring as he looks to climb the depth chart.