Deshaun Watson Replaces Tom Savage as Texans QB vs. Jaguars

It didn't take long for the Houston Texans to switch to Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position.

Houston found itself behind 19-0 at halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday's season opener, and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported head coach Bill O'Brien benched Tom Savage to bring in Watson. 

The Texans traded up to make Watson the 12th overall selection of the 2017 draft.

He arrived in the NFL after playing three years for the Clemson Tigers. In his final two collegiate seasons, he threw for 8,702 yards and 76 touchdowns. Watson also helped Clemson win its first national title since 1981, engineering a last-second scoring drive against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

While Watson was by far the most decorated quarterback in the 2017 draft class, he wasn't without his flaws. His completion percentage fell slightly over the course of his college career, hitting 67 percent in 2016. He also threw 17 interceptions, tied for second-most in FBS.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked him as the second-best passer in the draft.

"He excelled as a runner in 2015 (1,105 yards, 12 TDs) before developing into more of a pocket thrower in his final year," Miller wrote of Watson. "He has a quick, smooth release and an over-the-top motion. He's able to move his legs to set up passing windows and has enough arm to push the ball outside the hashes and down the field."

Although Watson is likely to experience the growing pains common with most rookie quarterbacks, he's arguably a far better option for Houston than Savage.

Since being selected by Houston in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, Savage made five appearances under center in the NFL before Sunday. He went 56-of-92 for 588 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

Watson has a far higher ceiling than Savage, and in July, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Texans were impressed with how much Watson had progressed already:

Since Houston has eyes on a postseason run in 2017, having Savage hold down the fort until Watson's ready makes some sense. But a similar plan didn't exactly work out well for the Los Angeles Rams and Jared Goff last season.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is an example of how rookies can make an immediate impact for a title-contending team. It may be unrealistic to expect Watson to reach the same heights as Prescott right out of the gate, but the Texans, like the Cowboys last year with Prescott, have a strong enough supporting cast that the team won't be heaping too much pressure on its young quarterback.