The Texans have already signed their final four draft picks from this year’s class, but they have now come to terms with their second-rounder as well.
Houston signed former Penn State center Juice Scruggs to his rookie deal, as noted by Aaron Wilson of KPCR2. The four-year contract is worth slightly more than $6M.
Scruggs’ path to the NFL was a tumultuous one, with a 2019 car accident leaving his playing future in serious doubt. He recovered in full, though, and became a team captain with the Nittany Lions by the end of his college career.
That completed a notable turnaround from a high-profile recruiting process coming out of high school in which he had a number of notable offers to choose from.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, cementing his status as one of the top interior linemen in this year’s class.
The Texans made a small trade up to No. 62 to select him, and he was the third center to hear his name called. While Scruggs has experience at guard, he is expected to primarily see time in the middle of Houston’s O-line.
That will allow him to immediately compete for a starting role. The Texans re-signed veteran Scott Quessenberry earlier in the offseason, but Scruggs could displace him as a first-teamer during training camp.
If that were to take place, he would become the second consecutive interior blocker to see signficant playing time as a rookie in Houston. First-rounder Kenyon Green played 15 games at left guard last season, and represents a part of the team’s long-term plans up front.
The same is also true of Laremy Tunsil, of course. The Pro Bowl left tackle inked a three-year, $75M extension in March, ensuring stability on the blindside for the rebuilding team.
Tunsil, Green and Scruggs could form the left side of their offensive line for years to come if all goes according to plan.
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