Early projections for Texans’ Nico Collins in 2023

The Houston Texans wide receiver room is one of great mystery. With no set depth chart and a plethora of young playmakers looking to make an early impact in the blue and white, the team is utilizing the offseason program to assess each individual's contributions and talents. 

One of these players who has had an impressive offseason and beginning of Texans training camp is third year wide receiver Nico Collins. The 24-year-old appears to have developed an early chemistry with both quarterbacks Davis Mills and C.J. Stroud, while displaying excellent skills downfield on deep passing plays. 

At 6’4” and 215 pounds, Collins has the ideal size for a prototyical outside receiver, and elite speed, having run a 4.43 second 40-yard dash coming out of Michigan. Though the immediate results have not been there, the 24-year-old has grown as a receiver since entering the league in 2021. 

In those two seasons, Collins has appeared in 24 games, recording 70 receptions for 927 yards and three touchdowns according to Pro Football Reference. Though the stats are not mind-blowing, Collins did up his yardage total and catch percentage in 2022, even in lieu of the nightmare performance of the Texans' offense. 

With rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud looking like the odds on favorite to claim the Texans starting quarterback job, could a third-year breakout be on the horizon for Collins? Add in a new offensive scheme tailored towards multiple playmakers and you have a solid foundation for improvement set in place. 

With Stroud in at quarterback and the additions of veteran Robert Woods and John Metchie III to draw defensive attention, I strongly believe that a mini breakout will be on the horizon for the third-year wideout. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Collins accumulated a minimum of 800 receiving yards this upcoming season, shattering his career high of 481 set during the 2022 campaign.

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