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Jaelen Strong is in line to potentially make his NFL debut
After slipping to the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Strong has yet to see the field this season for the Houston Texans.
Strong has had his shape critiqued (which he announced he corrected soon after) and his practice habits publicly critiqued by head coach Bill O'Brien. He struggled throughout the preseason too, and as a result found himself being outperformed by and now sitting behind the likes of Houston's fifth-round selection Keith Mumphrey on the depth chart. It's led to him missing each of the Texans' games to this point, namely as a healthy-inactive scratch in three of them.
However, with receivers Nate Washington (hamstring) and Cecil Shorts (shoulder) both possibly being held out of Thursday night's contest against the Indianapolis Colts, Strong may finally not only be active, but even see playing time for the first time in his career.
Still, nothing is guaranteed. The Texans have considered signing a veteran receiver, or simply expanding Mumphrey's role in the short term.
But, there's a good chance we do see Strong hit the field, especially considering O'Brien praised Strong for a good week of practice last week amidst steady improvement. Of course, we'll just have to wait and see.
Rookies
| Name/Position/Number | Team | Selected | Standing | This Week's Statistics |
| Damarious Randall, CB - No. 23 | Green Bay Packers | Rd 1, Pick 30 | Second-team left cornerback | 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 pass defended in 17-3 vs. San Francisco 49ers |
| Jaelen Strong, WR - No. 11 | Houston Texans | Rd 3, Pick 70 | Second-team wide receiver No. 2 | Inactive |
| Jamil Douglas, OG - No. 75 | Miami Dolphins | Rd 4, Pick 114 | Starting right guard | N/A in 27-14 loss vs. New York Jets |
| Marcus Hardison, DT - No. 91 | Cincinnati Bengals | Rd 4, Pick 135 | Third-team right defensive tackle | Inactive |
Other Alumni on Active Rosters
| Name/Position/No. | Team | Years at ASU | Standing | This Week's Statistics |
| Lawrence Guy, DE - No. 67 | Baltimore Ravens | 2008-10 | Second-team defensive end | 2 solo tackles |
| Will Sutton, DT - No. 93 | Chicago Bears | 2009-13 | Second-team defensive end | N/A |
| Davon Coleman, DT - No. 60 | Dallas Cowboys | 2011-13 | Third-team defensive tackle | N/A |
| Brock Osweiler, QB - No. 17 | Denver Broncos | 2009-11 | Second-string quarterback | N/A |
| Omar Bolden, S - No. 31 | Denver Broncos | 2007-10 (missed 2011) | Second-team free safety | N/A |
| Rashad Ross, WR - No. 19 | Washington | 2011-12 | Third-team wide receiver, No. 1 kick returner, No. 3 punt returner | 1 rec, 43 yards, 3 targets |
| Shawn Lauvao, LG - No. 77 | Washington | 2005-09 | Starting left guard | N/A |
Alumni Placed on Injured Reserve/PUP List
Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Suggs, LB - No. 55 (was at ASU from 2000-02): suffered torn Achilles injury in opening game of the season. Out for year.
Cincinnati Bengals: Vontaze Burfict, LB - No. 55 (2009-11): began year on reserve/physically-unable-to-play list.
Denver Broncos: Kyle Williams, WR - No. 15 (2006-09): sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon on August 1.
Kansas City Chiefs: Paul Fanaika, OG - No. 74 (2004-08): was placed on injured reserve just days before the start of the season.