Houston Texans: which wide receiver will emerge as the number one option?

When addressing the Houston Texans and their wide receiver room, their relative lack of experience and youth are often considered factors. With so many young options and veteran offseason signing Robert Woods, the question emerges of which wide receiver will ultimately take on the lead role. 

A Reddit poll courtesy of user u/n1texansfan offers some potential insight into who fans of the Houston Texans think will step into that position. According to the poll, that man will be rising youngster Nico Collins, taking home 324 out of 930 total votes. 

Though the 23-year-old’s 2022 season lacked superb statistics, the young wideout did improve his numbers in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and catch percentage in four fewer games played than his rookie season according to Pro Football Reference. The uptick in counting stats combined with an evident rapport with the Texans signal callers thus far in the offseason has many speculating another rise to take place in 2023. 

The second most popular option according to the poll was veteran wideout Robert Woods, who the Texans signed earlier this offseason. Based on experience and proven contributions at the NFL level, Woods is considered the safe pick to carve out a large role in the Texans' passing attack. 

Though Woods is coming off a down season in Tennessee, the veteran still has two 1,000+ yard seasons and was a highly effective option in a high-octane passing attack as recently as 2020. While being 31 years old comes with concerns of a decline, I still believe that there is ample opportunity for a bounce back with a change of scenery. 

Young receivers John Metchie and Tank Dell also received considerable votes, though I don’t believe either currently has a shot as the top receiver. All things considered, I do believe that Collins will earn that distinction, especially if quarterback C.J. Stroud wins the starting job this offseason.

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