Houston Texans: Keke Coutee capable of making the leap in Year 2

Houston Texans may have found a potential third option in Keke Coutee at the wide receiver position for the long term.

After much trial and error, the Houston Texans have a found a talented, shifty, and speedy wide receiver to complement DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller through the draft in Keke Coutee. Selected in the fourth round from Texas Tech, Coutee displayed an impressive ability to not get lost in the mix as a rookie and carve out a role in the offense as a slot receiver.

Prior to drafting Coutee, Texans selected Braxton Miller from Ohio State in 2016, Jaelen Strong from Arizona State in the third round and Keith Mumphery from Michigan State in 2015 to bolster their wide receiver depth. Unlike his predecessors, Coutee hit the ground running in his rookie debut in 2018.

Texans won their first game of the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, Coutee finished with 11 receptions for 109 receiving yards, and was crucial late in the game when Fuller left with a hamstring injury.

Coutee continued to impress as a slot receiver and gave Deshaun Watson a threat in the middle of the field to accompany Hopkins and Fuller. He struggled with hamstring injuries that limited him to six games in the regular season but he finished with 28 receptions for 287 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.

Coutee proved the spotlight wasn’t too big for him in the playoffs and he thrived against the Colts’ secondary finishing with 11 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown reception. Barring any injury, Coutee has demonstrated in his rookie season that he can carve out a bigger role in the offense in his second year, and be the long term solution at slot receiver.