Three questions for the Houston Texans wide receivers entering training camp

Who will emerge as the first option?

With so many youngsters and a lack of proven production outside of veteran Robert Woods, trying to identify who will emerge as the first option in the passing game is something that has yet to reveal itself. On paper, the elder statesman is the most qualified to spearhead the attack. 

The veteran wideout has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume and was a dominant presence for a Los Angeles Rams passing attack that terrorized opponents across the NFL landscape. Woods’s most prolific seasons came between 2018-2020, but in a league that puts a heavy emphasis on what has been done lately, Woods has not lived up to par. 

Even on those Rams attacks, Woods was not a first option in the passing game, benefiting immensely from the presence of dominant receivers Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks throughout his time as a Ram. Factoring in Woods's dismal 2022 season with the Titans, in which he only eclipsed 527 receiving yards in 17 games, questions begin to arise about his viability as a true number-one receiver. 

If Woods does not win the job based on his experience, Nico Collins is another name to watch out for. At 6’4” and 215 pounds and still only 24 years old, Collins’s best football may very well still lie ahead of him, though his rapport with the Texans quarterbacks in training camp will determine his role in the offense.