And with the 123rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select:

Cade Stover, TE – Ohio State.

Talk about an athlete! Cade Stover was one of the most imposing players on a loaded Ohio State roster from 2019-2023. He began his career as a star running back and basketball player in high school out of Lexington, Ohio, but was instead recruited to play linebacker at Ohio State. He then moved to defensive end for four games, then moved back to linebacker in the shortened 2020 season, and then finally settled at tight end in 2022.

In his three seasons as a tight end at Ohio State, he caught 82 receptions for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns. And, take it from a Penn State fan; a lot of those receptions were absolutely back-breaking. Cade Stover is a massive, shockingly fast athlete that will KILL you on third down. He was a favorite safety blanket for current Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in 2022, and took another step forward as a receiving tight end in 2023.

The promise of that improvement, and why I’m particularly excited about this pick, is that it’s rooted in his impressive athleticism that goes back to his high school days. His route running is sharp and he’s capable of reeling in errant passes with impressive range. And when Cade Stover gets going down midfield, you get scared of what he’s capable of, because it’s going to take more than one player to bring him down. Again and again at Ohio State, he would get separation downfield and become a home run threat, or become a guaranteed 5-8 yards on third down. He has the muscle to control the game.

His one major weakness is run blocking. For as nasty and aggressive he is in the passing game, he loses that intensity in the run. For an athlete as strong and imposing as Cade Stover, it is disappointing to see him largely mediocre on this front.