Houston Texans select Juice Scruggs in second round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Houston Texans have selected Penn State offensive lineman Juice Scruggs with the No. 62 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Scruggs spent the past two seasons as a starter on the offensive line for the Nittany Lions after spending his first three years as a backup or redshirting.

In his first season as a starter in 2021, Scruggs earned a spot as an All-Big Ten honorable mention. Last campaign, Scruggs was the starting center for Penn State and was a All-Big Ten third team selection by the coaches of the conference.

He made the decision to declare for the draft ahead of the Rose Bowl, saying it was not an easy decision to make.

“It was definitely hard,” Scruggs said last December. “I was contemplating and going back and forth, thinking about coming back or going. But at the end of the day, I sat down with my family and my support cast, and I just realized it was the best decision for me to go for it and put my name in the Draft.”

Scruggs, who is from Ohio, went to high school at Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep. He was the No. 255 overall recruit and No. 16 interior offensive lineman in the 2018 On3 Industry Ranking. The On3 Industry is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the most advanced, complete and unbiased rating and ranking measurement in the industry. 

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Juice Scruggs

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein projected Juice Scruggs as a third or fourth round pick heading into the draft. He highlighted Scruggs as having very good hands.

“A two-year starter with center/guard versatility, Scruggs is dependable and consistent in carrying out his assignment to the best of his ability,” Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. “He plays like a block of granite that is difficult to push back or knock off-balance, but he’s more of a neutralizer than road grader. He plays with solid technique and possesses the play strength to hold his own in the middle. The lack of foot quickness shows up with athletic defenders leaking around his edges and that issue could be exacerbated if teams play him at guard. Scruggs has the potential to go from backup to eventual starter if the situation is right.”