Keith Mumphery to Houston Texans: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Since drafting three potential starters on Days 1 and 2, the Houston Texans stayed patient waiting for the fifth round to roll through on Saturday, and as a result, they’ve again added some depth at wide receiver.

Surprisingly, the Texans saw Keith Mumphery available on the board and said yes. It’s not a knock on Mumphery, though, because the Texans have now gained another wide receiver who could come in and help on special teams or in the slot.

With only four picks left in the draft, the Texans had to play it smart. As a route-runner, Mumphery is decent, and since he was seriously loved at Michigan State, he sounds like a coachable prospect.

After running a 4.54 40 at the combine, Mumphery showed the speed he possesses, but unfortunately it rarely shows up on the field. Creating separation from cornerbacks looks to be a concern, and he could get beat down the sidelines at the NFL level.

With all that said, it’s not hard to see why Mumphery fell to the sixth round. He’s likely going to be a possession receiver for the Texans since he is strong over the middle. But with a big 6’0", 215-pound frame, Mumphery should see some time returning kicks at practice almost straight away.

As a blocker, Mumphery is physical and competitive, so he should excel on run plays. The likelihood of us seeing much of Mumphery at the receiver spot is low this season, though, just because of the depth at the position.

Currently, the Texans depth chart should look something like this:

• DeAndre Hopkins
• Jaelen Strong
• Cecil Shorts
• Nate Washington 
• Damaris Johnson
• Keshawn Martin

That’s a lot of names for Mumphery to compete with, and that isn’t even mentioning guys like Jace Davis and Uzoma Nwachukwu.

So why did the Texans go for Mumphery?

As a physical receiver, Mumphery should win some balls even if his playing time is limited, and since DeVier Posey was dealt to the New York Jets Friday, it’s likely the Texans were seeking a replacement.

If you could compare Mumphery to one player already on the Texans roster, it’s probably Nate Washington. Physically the two are completely different, but Washington has played as a situational receiver during times in his career and is always a legitimate deep threat despite not possessing blazing speed.

The Texans should still be pleased with this pick, even though drafting a tight end or a center could have been more useful. Overall though, the Texans add further competition to the wide receiver spot and have well and truly addressed their need on special teams.