The New York Times is predicting that Tank Dell is going to be among the players in 2024 to break out. They're also predicting Will Levis will as well, so maybe we don't treat this as gospel, but still. Dell did have an impressive year in 2023 and had it not been for his broken leg, he would've likely led the Texans in every key receiving statistic for the season.
The Texans' second-year player was likely to be the guy heading into 2024 had it not been for that injury and had he not sustained that injury, who knows if the team would've even traded for Stefon Diggs. Dell would likely've had 1,300 yards or more in 2023 and the pressure for him to hit 1,500 in 2024 would've been very real.
You don't trade for a high-volume target like Diggs if Dell is on his way to that kind of numbers after one season. It's also why Diggs' arrival may delay or even hinder Dell's development. While the Texans intend on starting three receivers and playing in a three-receiver minimum set a lot of the game, it's important to note that there's still only one football and one player at a time gets to hold it. With Diggs' documented history of not being happy when he's not getting the ball, C.J. Stroud may feel more inclined to throw passes to Diggs.
Even if Dell or Collins is the better option on that given play. He may not, however. Stroud may be more mature and less willing to bend to Diggs' complaints than we give him credit for. Still, even if that's the case, the number of times a receiving corp has had three 1,000 receivers is few and far between. It's far more likely that one of the Texans' receivers hits 1,000 yards.
Leaving the other two to fall in between the 700-900 range. That may not be due to a lack of effort or skill, but instead just a sheer volume of options. Not only do the Texans have three top-flight receivers, but they also have a top-10 tight end, a potential passing threat in Cam Akers, and of course guys like Noah Brown and Cade Stover.
That's a lot of proverbial mouths to feed this season. So while we have high opinions of Dell, the fact is that "breaking out" this season may not look like some believe it to. He may only finish with 800+ yards and eight touchdowns, but if the offense is rolling and the Texans rarely lose, then that may be enough to bestow the idea of a breakout season on the second-year receiver.