The Texans selected Mertz in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 197th overall.
At one time, Mertz was considered a major quarterback prospect. He enrolled at Wisconsin as one of the top-rated quarterbacks in his recruiting class. Mertz never quite matched the hype in Madison, though, and transferred to Florida. He posted a 20:3 TD:INT in his first season at Florida in 2023 and had his final season cut short by an injury after five games. Given that he's a sixth-round pick going to Houston, Mertz projects as the QB3 behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills, at best.