A lot has already been made about the Houston Texans wide receiver group and the perception this is one of the worst groups in the NFL. I get it too, limited experience and minimal productivity from the veterans of the group and know one really knows what the Texans have.
The Texans have three rookies on the squad, third-rounder Tank Dell, sixth-rounder Xavier Hutchinson, and undrafted rookie Jared Wayne. You could even throw John Metchie III into the "rookie" mix. I don't expect any of these four to rise up to be the Texans' number one receiver but so far throughout rookie mini-camp, OTAs, and most recently mandatory mini-camp, this group has turned some heads.
Brett Hawn of Toro Times recently wrote up his three observations from mandatory mini-camp which included a section about the wide receivers. Here is a quote from Brett.
"The most important characteristic shown by each receiver during these past couple of days was the work ethic and hunger to improve, traits that will serve them well as the offseason activities intensify. For Texans fans, having a group of motivated receivers is an exciting prospect."Brett Hawn (Toro Times)
As exciting as this group might be though, I think it would be wise to temper expectations. With likely a new quarterback running the show in C.J. Stroud, a new head coach and another new offensive scheme, it may take time for this offense to get rolling.
In addition, I don't expect new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to put too much on Stroud's plate, particularly early, which means leaning on the run game, which should be a very good unit in 2023. I've repeatedly said I think the Texans run game will be a top-ten unit this season. Unfortunately, this will reduce these opportunities for the receivers. But let's take a closer look at the three 2023 Houston Texan wide receivers.