Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud spent some time throwing to his receivers in California before the NFL team began its offseason program on Monday, and he came away impressed with John Metchie III.

“He has a ton of value,” Stroud said this week. “Huge impact, I think, he’ll bring this season. I think last year was good to get his feet back in the water coming off of an injury, then something so traumatic like being sick how he was. His mindset is that he’s ready to come back and ball. Not only is he a great football player, but he’s a great person, and I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else other than those guys in that room.

“Metch is looking amazing. Everything that he’ll put on this field will be no surprise, but I think everybody in this room knows how special he can be, and he’ll put that on the field.”

When they selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft after he caught 151 passes for 2,085 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Alabama, the Texans knew the wide receiver probably wouldn’t start his pro career on time. Metchie had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game for the Crimson Tide – a 41-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5, 2021.

But the Texans didn’t bargain on Metchie missing the whole season.

Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in July 2022, and the illness and its treatment sidelined him until 2023.

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Hamstring issues contributed to a slow start for Metchie last season in his comeback from cancer. But in Houston’s final four games – two in the regular season and two in the playoffs – Metchie played at least 35 offensive snaps in each for the first times in his career.

Including the playoffs, Metchie had 19 receptions for 202 yards and 13 yards on two rushing attempts in 2023.

Stroud said this offseason, Metchie “looks really all the way back.”

Metchie is part of a deep wide-receivers room for the Texans.

Houston obtained four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills in a trade on April 3.

Former Clay-Chalkville standout Nico Collins had 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Texans last season.

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Tank Dell, who played his freshman college season at Alabama A&M, had 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns when a broken leg in the 11th game ended his rookie season prematurely.

“He looks great,” Stroud said. “He’s gotten a lot better. Mentally, I think for both of us, really all the rookies, coming into Year 2, everything’s starting to slow down. The wheels aren’t turning so much up in your head. You’re starting to play ball. And being able to throw with them in LA was really big.”

Stroud received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2023 season.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.