QB star power awaits Texans in preseason

The Texans will see three talented young quarterbacks this preseason.

Their final tuneup is against the Cowboys, but the starters rarely play in that final game, so the Texans won't likely see a fourth ascending signal-caller in Dak Prescott.

But in succession, they'll probably face second-year starter Patrick Mahomes, then Jimmy Garoppolo, followed by Jared Goff.

Houston opens their preseason schedule at Kansas City, so Mahomes will likely get a bit of playing time in that opener. Last season in a Week 17 start, he completed 22-of-35 passes for 284 yards and was picked off once. But he guided his Chiefs to a 27-24 victory at Denver. 

Kansas City traded swapped first round picks with Buffalo last year, and threw in 2017 third-rounder, as well a 2018 first-rounder to move up to the 10th spot to select Mahomes.

Garoppolo, meanwhile, was acquired by the 49ers in a midseason deal last autumn. He started, and won, the final five games of 2017, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,560 yards, with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. 

One of those wins came in a 26-16 triumph at NRG Stadium on December 10. 

The Texans also faced Goff last year, and will do so again in Los Angeles in their third preseason contest. Goff had a big day against Houston last season, tossing three touchdown passes and completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 355 yards. On the year, he threw 28 touchdowns and was picked off just seven times.