Texans' Tyler Ervin: Barely plays on offense as rookie

Ervin (concussion), a 2016 fourth-round draft pick, finished his rookie season with one carry for three yards and three catches for 18 yards (five targets) in 12 games. He returned 27 punts for 261 yards and 14 kickoffs for 263 yards, also losing a pair of fumbles on special teams.

Analysis:

Passing-down work represented Ervin's realistic path to early playing time on offense, but the Texans ultimately preferred both Lamar Miller and Jonathan Grimes to the rookie in those situations. Ervin thus got most of his reps on special teams, where a pair of lost fumbles outweighed his middling work picking up yards as a returner. It was a disappointing rookie season overall, but with a year under his belt and Grimes currently unsigned, Ervin could get more of a shot to contribute on passing downs in 2017. Miller still figures to be heavily involved through the air, but backup running back Alfred Blue is rarely used in obvious passing situations. Given his struggles with ball security as a rookie, it remains to be seen if Ervin will reprise his role as the primary return man for punts and/or kickoffs, but the team figures to at least give him some competition for the jobs. Ervin should have plenty of time to recover from the concussion he suffered during the playoffs before the start of Texans OTAs in mid-to-late April.