Auburn football: SI names Anthony Schwartz as HOU WR option

Auburn football will see a number of departees looking to make it big in the NFL this upcoming April-May, with their road to the pros starting with the three-day NFL Draft.

One of the bigger losses on the offensive end for the Tigers will be Anthony Schwartz, the six-foot-one, 180-pound wideout. In 2020, Schwartz hauled in 54 catches for 636 yards and three touchdowns.

The speedster is an elite yards-after-catch threat, but he has shown in the past that he can haul in hail mary tosses–think his week five reception against Mississippi State in the 2019 season–making him a potential secondary option in the NFL.

Sports Illustrated’s Houston Texans fansite, State of the Texans, recently listed Schwartz as a potential option for Houston in the 2021 NFL Draft.

For the Texans, Will Fuller’s free-agent future is the focus this offseason. After shattering career-highs across the board, the 2016 first-rounder out of Notre Dame is eligible for a new contract. While the possibility of a franchise tag looms, Houston would be better off avoiding torching another bridge with a superstar.

The Deshaun Watson drama has all but engulfed the team this offseason, and every day that there isn’t a resolution, the team’s reputation among players continues to be called into question…especially as local publications continue to call for the team to do right by the signal-caller.

Whether he is behind center or not (and it’s looking very unlikely he will be) in 2021, Schwartz could be a cheap option for the Texans if the worst-case scenario comes to fruition this Spring.

What would such a scenario look like, you may ask? The prospect that Watson is traded and Fuller sees the trade drama as an out to pursue a better situation.

After finishing 4-12 in 2020, Houston projects to dwell at the bottom of the AFC South with Indianapolis acquiring Carson Wents, The Jaguars looking to add Trevor Lawrence, and the Tennessee Titans continuing to dominate the division, the Texans likely aren’t destined for big things as a team.

That doesn’t mean Auburn football’s top receiver in 2020 can’t excel at the next level in 2021. Fly War Eagle will keep you posted on all Tigers and their 2021 NFL Draft prospects.