Texans Rookie Receives Intriguing Year One Prediction From ESPN

The Houston Texans made an eye-catching addition to their backfield during last month's draft with the selection of USC's Woody Marks in round four–– the 116th overall pick who can add another layer of youth and potential to this offense for the year ahead.

But when looking at Marks' outlook for the 2025 campaign, what could the rookie have in store right off the bat in the Texans offense?

In the eyes of ESPN analyst Mike Clay, Marks could be in line for a relatively productive first year in the mix.

In Clay's latest prediction, he drew out some compelling rookie number projections for Marks, ultimately seeing the USC product becoming a handy threat in both on the ground and as a receiver: 105 carries, 457 yards, 3 TDs; 21 receptions, 157 yards, 1 TD.

"Marks was a pass-catching star in college, posting 1,546 receiving yards on 317 targets over five seasons -- more than doubling the next-closest back in routes, targets and catches," Clay wrote. "On the other hand, he averaged south of 5.0 yards per carry over five seasons, and his career 2.4 yards after contact per carry is easily the worst in this class. Marks also underwhelmed across the board at the combine, including a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash. The 24-year-old will compete with Dare Ogunbowale and Dameon Pierce for No. 2 duties behind Joe Mixon in Houston."

Overall, it pins Marks as a situational back/backup in the eyes of Clay, and while he might not take the keys as the lead in the backfield compared to a name like Joe Mixon, as a complimentary piece in the run game as early as year one, it'd not only be a nice start to his career, but another valuable piece to this Texans offense in 2025.