Nico Collins has taken the next step in his development as a player

The Houston Texans need help at a few positions this offseason, mostly at safety, linebacker, and the offensive line, but one of the few suspected problem areas heading into the season is no longer that. The wide receiver position for the Houston Texans is one of the deepest and most impressive in the NFL. Robert Woods, an NFL veteran and technically a starter for the Texans is the team's fifth-best pass-catcher.

Dalton Schultz, Tank Dell, and others have stepped up to help rookie quarte back C.J. Stroud look every bit as good as he can. Yet, the one player who broke out more than anyone, maybe even more than Dell, has been third-year receiver Nico Collins. Taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Michigan alum came into his rookie season with a lot of hype but little in the way of production.

He recorded just 446 yards on 33 receptions while being targeted just 60 times. He scored one touchdown and was largely a non-threat. Collins would then go on to have a near-identical season in 2022, posting similar yards, receptions, and the like. It had many people wondering if Collins had the ability to help elevate an offense without a stellar quarterback throwing to him.

We still don't know if Collins can have a great game without a stellar quarterback throwing to him; as Stroud has made Collins look really good all year, but Collins has delivered on his potential. He's broken 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career, and has seven touchdowns on the season, all while doubling his total receptions. He saw his averages jump up this season, going from around 13 yards per catch to now over 16.

Collins has been huge for Stroud all season and with the playoffs on the line and Stroud returning to the starting lineup, the Texans are going to need the pair to once again make some magic if the 8-7 Texans hope to make the playoffs.