HOUSTON – Stretching for catches, Houston Texans undrafted rookie wide receiver Jared Wayne presents a large downfield target.
The former Pitt standout, an Ontario, Canada native drafted in the second round by the Toronto Argonauts, is 6′3′', 210 lbs, has posted a 42-inch vertical leap and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds.
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Signed to a deal that includes $210,000 guaranteed with a $10,000 signing bonus and $200,000 of his base salary guaranteed, Wayne caught 60 passes for 1,062 yards and five touchdowns last season as a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He caught 11 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns against Miami last season, finishing his career with 146 career receptions for 2,308 yards.
“Jared, he’s doing a good job as well,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Wayne, whose father, Patrick Wayne played nine seasons in the Canadian Football League. “All the guys are working really hard working really well with what they’ve been doing. They’ve been adapting to what we ask them to do. They’ve been improving, and they’re competing each day.”
Former San Diego State wide receiver Jesse Matthews, a two-time bowl game Most Valuable Player and a walk-on who earned a scholarship, joined the Texans on an undrafted deal. Matthews has 4.52 speed in the 40-yard dash and caught 174 career passes for 2,109 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“Jesse is another young guy that we think has some promise to him,” Ryans said. “He’s doing a good job. He just has to continue just like everybody else just continue to be consistent, continue to try to improve daily. That’s all we’re looking for out of all our guys right now.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.