Houston Texans 2016 outlook: Position grades
By Randy Gurzi
Wide Receivers B+
At first glance it feels like this should be a sure fire A+. However, like the defensive line earlier, this unit benefited mostly from the stellar play of one person.
Third-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins introduced himself to the world in 2015 and showed us all he is an absolute star. He became the first Texans player to ever record double digit touchdown catches in a season as he brought in 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Just imagine what he could have done with more competent play (or even more stable play) at the quarterback position. The needle is still pointing up on this exciting young man’s career trajectory.
Outside “Nuk” Hopkins though, the team was good, but not necessarily great at receiver. Veterans Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III were both smart signings, and each had good contributions to the team.
Shorts finished the year with 42 receptions for 484 yards and two touchdowns while Washington had 47 catches for 658 yards and four touchdowns.
The unit as a whole was good, but Hopkins was amazing. Look for second year player Jaelen Strong to try and assert himself into the action more moving forward. His development could be exactly what this team needs to propel their grade up to an A+.
Next: Running Backs