Johnson County native Graham Mertz, who led the Blue Valley North Mustangs to a state championship in 2017, has been drafted into the NFL by the Houston Texans.
Mertz, 24, was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, 197th overall, last Saturday. Mertz will join an up-and-coming quarterback room led by Pro Bowler C.J. Stroud.
In a press conference after the draft, Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Mertz’s playing experience and success in college at two Power Five programs, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Florida, were attractive for the team.
“Good demeanor, good presence, has good leadership, good size, you know, throws a pretty good ball,” Caserio said. “The type of player that we felt had some traits and characteristics of that position that we wanted to work with.”
He added that Mertz made a good impression in interviews with team officials before the draft.
“We had him here in the building and he was as advertised, so you know, we’ll see how it goes when he gets here,” Caserio added.
“More than ready”
- DeMeco Ryans, the head coach for the Texans, called Mertz right before the franchise finalized their 197th pick.
- In a video put on the Texans’ official Instagram account, Ryans can be seen telling Mertz that the Texans are “fired up” about the former Blue Valley North star coming to Houston.
- “I’m ready, more than ready,” Mertz responded. (Watch Mertz’s reaction to becoming a Houston Texan on Instagram here, or the NFL Draft announcement online here.)
- Mertz enjoyed the draft from Overland Park surrounded by loved ones, he told the Post in an emailed statement.
- “It’s an absolute honor to be drafted to the Houston Texans,” Mertz said. “Very excited to get down there and get to work. It was a great experience to be here in Overland Park for the draft, spending time with my family and friends in the place that I grew up in, and will forever call my home!”
Mertz played at Blue Valley North, Wisconsin and Florida
Soon after the draft, the Blue Valley School District congratulated Mertz on social media.
Congratulations to Graham Mertz, graduate of @MustangsBvn, on being selected in the 2025 #NFLDraft! 🤩🏈👏#BVTogether https://t.co/BKMxwKkiLr
— Blue Valley Schools (@bvschools) April 26, 2025
As the Mustangs’ quarterback, Mertz led Blue Valley North to a state championship in 2017 and nearly repeated the feat the following year, finishing as state runners-up in 2018.
After high school, Mertz played parts of four seasons at Big Ten powerhouse Wisconsin. As redshirt freshman in 2020, he became the first freshman to start at quarterback for the Badgers since 1978.
He went on to start more than 30 games in Madison, throwing for 38 touchdowns and more than 5,300 yards.
He transferred to the University of Florida in 2023 and started his first game as the Gators’ quarterback in August of that year.
Mertz spent two more seasons as a Gator, notably completing his first season at Florida with 20 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.
His college career ended with abruptly last year when he tore his ACL in an October game against Tennessee.
A handful of other Johnson Countians have been drafted
Mertz is the first Johnson County prep football product to be drafted into the NFL since Olathe North star Isaiah Simmons was taken in the first round pick in 2020 by the Arizona Cardinals.
Simmons is now a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.
Other notable recent Johnson County football stars to get drafted include:
- Shane Ray, who went to Bishop Miege and played for the University of Missouri, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round in 2015
- Andrew Gachkar, a Blue Valley West and University of Missouri alumnus, was drafted by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2011 and also played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers.
- Darren Sproles, an Olathe North alumnus who also went on to become Kansas State’s all-time leading rusher, was drafted by then-San Diego Chargers in 2005 and went on to play for the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles
