4 Texans wide receiver options at trade deadline following loss of Stefon Diggs

Not long ago, the Houston Texans were stacked at wide receiver. Now, they're suddenly dangerously thin after losing Stefon Diggs for the year with a torn ACL.

Diggs went down as Houston was already trying to make up for the loss of Nico Collins, who hurt his hamstring in Week 5 and was sent to the IR. Now, they'll go into a Thursday Night Football matchup with the New York Jets hoping Tank Dell, Robert Woods, and Xavier Hutchinson can answer the call.

The good news is that Collins could be back as early as Week 10. But if Houston wants to make a run, they might want to look for someone to replace Diggs. With Diontae Johnson traded shortly after the Diggs news broke, their options dwindled, but we can still identify four wide receivers they could target at the deadline for a playoff push.

4. Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots

Originally a member of the 49ers, Kendrick Bourne signed a three-year deal in 2021 with the New England Patriots. He had a solid debut for them with 55 receptions for 800 yards with five touchdowns.

Since then, his numbers have dropped, with 434 yards and 406 in the past two seasons. He showed enough to get another three-year deal but has just four catches in four games and could be moved to make room for their younger wideouts. Bourne wouldn't be a home-run move but he could give them a trustworthy set of hands without breaking the bank.

3. Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

Carolina already sent Diontae Johnson to the Ravens but they might not be done making moves. If so, the Texans could try and see what it would take to pry Adam Thielen away.

The former Minnesota Vikings star was excellent in 2023. During his first season with Carolina, he had 103 receptions for 1,014 yards with four touchdowns. He's missed most of this season with a hamstring injury but if he's healthy, he could be a savvy veteran capable of putting up big numbers.

2. Mike Williams, New York Jets

Houston faces the New York Jets on Halloween and will see their newest WR Davante Adams. The arrival of Adams has the future of Mike Williams up in the air.

Williams topped 1,000 yards twice during his seven years with the Los Angeles Chargers and signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason. He's a massive target at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds but has a long injury history. That could make him more affordable and while it's a risk, it could be one that pays off in a big way.

1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

With the Rams pulling off a win in Week 8, there's less of a chance they will trade Cooper Kupp. Had they lost that game and fallen to 2-5, they could have gone into "fire sale" mode.

At 3-4, they're only a half-game out of the lead in the AFC West with every other team sitting at 4-4. Even so, there's still a belief they could look to rebuild and that would include trading Kupp.

The 31-year-old has also dealt with several injuries, playing in just three games this season. He's still a solid option, however, with 23 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns in those games. This one might be the least likely, but it would move the needle more than any other option out there.

More Texans news and analysis