Not much has gone right for the Houston Texans in the passing game, but one unlikely contributor may have put together a performance against the Eagles that could necessitate a more prominent role in the offense moving forward. Rookie tight end Teagan Quitoriano caught the first pass of his career for a touchdown in the game and joined some exclusive company as the third player in team history to accomplish the feat.
He joined receivers Derrick Armstrong and Jaelen Strong, who managed the task in 2003 and 2015 respectively, which may bode well for his usage this week against the New York Giants in a game where Houston will need to pull out all stops to get their second win of the season.
Quitoriano was a fifth-round pick in April’s draft by way of Oregon State and was one of the lesser-known tight end prospects in the draft behind the likes of Daniel Bellinger and Isaiah Likely. The rookie has been used sparingly through the Texans’ nine games in 2022, but veteran O.J. Howard’s lackluster play could force the coaching staff to thrust Quitoriano into significant playing time if he practices as well as he played against the Eagles.
While he certainly isn’t a finished product just yet, Quitoriano has shown flashes of brilliance on his college film and was a key part of the Beaver’s offense last year at the collegiate level. His upside as a blocker made him one of the more coveted players at the position in the 2022 class, and with soft hands to boot, Quitoriano may prove to be one of the better value picks of the draft if he can show consistent improvement over the Texans’ last eight games.
As the team reevaluates its roadmap heading into next season, expect Quitoriano’s name to come up as a valuable piece of developing talent who might be able to help in Houston’s rebuilding process.
