Texans' Lovie Smith: We'll get 'big improvement' from Mills

Count new Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith among quarterback Davis Mills' supporters.

"If you look at all of my comments about Davis, I am a believer in him and what he's going to do," Smith said Monday, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

Smith added: "If you just go back and look at the plays that he made, throwing the ball downfield last year, so many good things that he did, and that's as a rookie. ... The improvement that you see from Year 1 to Year 2 is normally a big improvement, and that's what we're gonna get from him."

Mills made 13 appearances and started 11 games for the Texans as a rookie last season. The 2021 third-round pick displayed reasonable promise in his final five starts, throwing nine touchdowns to two interceptions. He finished the 2021 season throwing for 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

The 23-year-old is the front-runner to earn the starting gig - ahead of veterans Jeff Driskel and Kyle Allen - after the Texans traded Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns for multiple first-round picks, among other draft compensation. Houston also let Tyrod Taylor, who started six games in 2021, leave in free agency.

Smith said Mills has assumed a greater leadership role in the offseason by organizing workouts with teammates and recruiting players.

Both Smith and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton noted there's plenty of pressure on the young signal-caller's shoulders and highlighted how important consistency will be.

Houston is set to provide Mills with some weapons ahead of his second campaign. The team signed Brandin Cooks to a two-year extension Friday and will likely add more pieces in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.