The Houston Texans have a new head coach — and the number one draft pick. Could that mean Blake Bortles goes first in the NFL draft?

According to some mock drafts, that may be the case. Matthew Fairburn of SB Nation is one to think so:


“The Houston Texans are throwing up a lot of mixed signals as noted above. From what we know about O’Brien, he seems to prefer a bigger quarterback in the mold of a typical, drop-back passer. Bortles certainly fits that mold. O’Brien also has a strong relationship with UCF coach George O’Leary, which could come into play.”



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Texans new head coach Bill O’Brien, former coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, was asked by the Houston Chronicle about three quarterbacks who potentially could go No. 1.

“Blake is a good-sized guy. He’s an athletic guy for his size,” O’Brien said. “He’s an accurate passer. The guys who coached him at Central Florida think highly of him as a young man who really studies the game. He works hard at the game.”

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Since a stunning season and miraculous bowl win against Baylor, Bortles has certainly generated buzz for himself. O’Brien has also seen Bortles play up close when he led the Knights to a 34-31 victory at Penn State on Sept. 14. O’Brien also is close to UCF coach George O’Leary, who is one of his mentors.

Ultimately, it’s still early to tell what the Texans will do when they’re on the clock (if they even hold on to the first pick).

Continue to check back for mock draft updates and developments as the NFL draft continues to get closer.