The Houston Texans have a lot to prove in 2023 and it begins now. Pro Football Focus has not been kind to the Texans in many of their position ranks but none worse than where they have the Texans wide receiver corps listed.
PFF ranked Houston's receiver room as the worst in the league. I get it though, a lot of unproven players and guys coming off average seasons, such as Robert Woods. Woods has been a solid receiver in this league but didn't put up great numbers in 2022 but that can be attributed to two things. He was coming off a significant injury last year, plus the Tennessee Titans quarterback play was just short of awful.
Can Woods step up in 2023 and be that go-to guy for rookie C.J. Stroud? What about Nico Collins, where there is a lot of hype and optimism for him but still hasn't proven he can be a true alpha in a receiver room yet? Here is what PFF said about the unit as a whole.
"The Texans bring up the rear in these rankings with no go-to player in the passing game on their roster. I like Robert Woods as a WR2 or WR3, but not as a WR1. I also like Noah Brown, but not as a WR2. The same can be said for Nico Collins.Pro Football Focus
John Metchie III could be a good player for Houston, but there is a big unknown with him missing all last season. They did sign tight end Dalton Schultz in free agency, which was a good signing. But his presence raises the floor more than it elevates the ceiling. It’s still very much a rebuilding offense in Houston."
John Metchie III is another unknown but also someone that just might shock everyone and have an outstanding season, not to mention rookie Tank Dell. This is a unit that I can see becoming a reliable group as the season progresses. There is talent with this group and potential to be very good but also potential to be what the rest of the league believes them to be.
The overall play of the Texans' wide receivers is also dependent on the play of Stroud and their offensive line. In this game, all parts are reliant on each other, and if one group struggles, they all struggle. If the line can protect Stroud, giving him time to find his targets in the passing game, I think this unit might surprise some teams.