The Houston Texans needed to restock their wide receiver room after Brandin Cooks' departure. They also needed an influx of talent, and so far, they may have done just that from their performance at OTAs.
The Houston Texans have Nico Collins returning and entering his third season in the NFL and with the Texans. He's projected by some as a breakout candidate, and they also brought in Robert Woods on a free-agent deal.
The Texans did not have any player go over 700 yards receiving, none over 60 receptions, and only one with at least five touchdown receptions, and that was tight end, Jordan Akins. The Texans' receiver room isn't getting much respect as it is either, ranking near the bottom in wide receiver rankings.
Despite the expectations of Nico Collins and the arrival of veteran Robert Woods, there are two other receivers the Texans added to the squad that is turning heads at OTAs. Both are rookies but one was drafted, and the other signed to a rookie free-agent deal.
If the Texans are going to have a shot at taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, they will need some surprise contributions from this roster. Most are assuming C.J. Stroud will be the starter from day one and reports thus far say he's doing very well and already moved in front of Davis Mills on the depth chart.
I've talked about this many times in previous articles, a rookie quarterback needs weapons and support around him to develop and Stroud just might have some help in the form of these two rookie receivers.
Houston Texans need Tank Dell to deliver in his rookie season.
Dell has received nothing but rave reviews since the start of OTAs. Both players and coaches are very high on him, and his skills are on display. He could become the Texans' starting slot receiver in Week One.
Tank Dell reportedly already looks like a draft-day “steal” at Texans OTA’s.
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) June 5, 2023
Dell has reportedly been “excelling” in practices and doesn’t “blink” when he’s on the field.
Robert Woods said in a recent interview that he expects Dell to have an “early impact” on the Texans… pic.twitter.com/5JyOLA6UjG
Even Houston Astros third baseman, Alex Bregman noticed Dell's potential and had something to say.
If Collins has that breakout and Woods returns to form from a couple of seasons ago, Dell will be able to succeed underneath and work the slot very effectively. Plus, those team rankings based on the wide receiver room just might change considerably.
""From a receiver standpoint, good technician, good feet, good hands — you see him run his routes crisp with his feet,""Robert Woods
Bleacher report recently wrote an article about some rookies that are looking like draft day stills already and Dell was on that list. Here is a snippet of what they said.
""His diminutive stature most likely dropped his stock, but his agility, explosiveness and ball skills could pay off in a big way for the Texans.""Bleacher Report
""The early returns point toward Dell becoming a valuable dimension of the offense and a draft-day steal.""Bleacher Report
Houston Texans free agent rookie Jared Wayne
Jared Wayne was the Pittsburgh Panthers' number one receiver a season ago as a senior. He continually improved his production each year at Pitt and capped it off with 60 receptions (more than any Texans' receiver in 2022), 1,063 yards, and five touchdowns. He was voted second-team All-ACC as well.
One little-known fact about Wayne is he had the opportunity to begin a career in the CFL, as a second-round pick of the Toronto Argonauts. He chose to pursue a career in the NFL, choosing the Texans as his staring point.
#Texans undrafted rookie wide receiver Jared Wayne (6-3, 210, 42 vertical) made a smooth adjustment on deep ball for an over the shoulder catch during drills today. Wayne got $210,000 total guaranteed after productive career @pittfootballfam @KPRC2 https://t.co/ASdH05dIvE
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 31, 2023
Texans' head coach DeMeco Ryans likes what he's so far as well.
""He's doing a good job, got to continue to be consistent""Coach Ryans
"“Jared, he’s doing a good job as well, all the guys are working really hard working really well with what they’ve been doing. They’ve been adapting to what we ask them to do, and they’re competing each day.""Coach Ryans
The Houston Texans have a lot of promising young players, and this receiving corps might be better than what the national media thinks. Mandatory minicamp is just around the corner, and we'll get another glimpse of this young but talented group.