Texans' John Metchie III Cleared for Camp; Missed 2022 After Leukemia Diagnosis

Wide receiver John Metchie III has been cleared to take part in Houston Texans training camp, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Metchie, who was a second-round pick out of Alabama in the 2022 NFL draft, missed all of last season after being diagnosed with leukemia.

The 23-year-old wideout made enough progress in his recovery to participate in minicamp practice in May, which paved the way for his clearance to partake in training camp and fight for a roster spot.

During his three-year collegiate career with the Crimson Tide, Metchie progressively got better and was a key member of Bama's national championship team in 2020.

After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2019, Metchie made 55 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns in 2020, including eight grabs for 81 yards in Alabama's win over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

He followed that up with his best season in 2021, setting career highs across the board with 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.

That performance put Metchie in the conversation to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, but he ended up being the third wideout to come off the board in the second round and the ninth wide receiver taken overall.

Given the Texans' lack of depth at wide receiver Metchie was expected to play a pivotal role as a rookie, but leukemia cost him the entire season.

Without Metchie in the fold, Houston's top two pass-catchers were Brandin Cooks (57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns) and Chris Moore (48 receptions for 548 yards and two touchdowns).

The Texans have since traded Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys and replaced him with a free-agent signing in Robert Woods, plus they selected Tank Dell in the third round and Xavier Hutchinson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Given the lack of a truly proven and productive NFL wideout on the roster besides Woods, Metchie has an opportunity to be a starter for the Texans in 2023.

His status may largely depend on the rapport he builds with C.J. Stroud in training camp after Houston used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on the former Ohio State quarterback.

The Texans are a young, rebuilding team with plenty of up-and-coming talent, and Metchie will have a chance to carve out a major role for himself after missing out on his entire rookie season.