Heading into the 2026 regular season, the Houston Texans have a question to answer: can the offense produce? Much of it will depend on the effectiveness of the passing game, and aside from Nico Collins, there is uncertainty regarding the wide receiver room.
The wide receivers on the 53-man roster are Kayshon Boutte, Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne. Tank Dell (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the season, as he was reportedly placed on the injured reserve list to help him ease his way back. Jayden Higgins is out for the season with an ACL injury.
The running game should see an improvement with the offseason addition of David Montgomery, but if they can't move the ball through the air, it won't matter. Below, I will discuss what to expect from the Texans wide outs in 2026.
Analyzing the potential of the Texans wide receivers in 2026
Before getting into the wide receivers, it's worth mentioning quarterback CJ Stroud and the positive reports from this offseason. If he can finally take a step forward for the Texans, it will help mitigate the injuries on the outside.
Beginning with Collins, there isn't much to be said regarding his talent, as he's made it known. However, it didn't lead to the usual production in 2025. Per NFL NextGen Stats (NGS), last season marked the least efficient campaign for Collins and Stroud since they began playing together in 2021. It was the first season in which they connected on less than 70% of passes (54.8%).
Collins and Stroud will have to find whatever it is they lost, because with such an injury-ridden receiver room, WR1 needs to perform. The newest addition to the room is Boutte. The 2023 sixth-round pick came over from the New England Patriots in a recent trade, and it should help the Texans get by until the room is healthier.
Boutte and Collins actually had the same amount of touchdown catches in 2025 (6), but the latter had about twice as many receptions and yards. Boutte can run any kind of route, so once he gets acclimated, he could step into the WR2 role.
Before Boutte takes it over, the WR2 slot will likely be decided between Hutchinson and Noel. Hutchinson ran the third-most routes for the Texans in 2025, only behind Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz (NGS).
Noel was a rookie last season, and he has what it takes to be a consistent contributor. Stroud had a 105.9 passer rating when targeting Noel, which was the sixth highest among rookies with at least 20 targets (NGS). When the Texans are in a formation with three wide outs, Noel will likely be in the slot, with Hutchinson on the outside opposite of Collins.
Wayne is the wildcard of the group, as he edged out Lewis Bond for the final receiver spot on the roster. However, once Dell is ready to come off the IR, Wayne will likely be relegated to the practice squad to make room.
If the wide receivers aren't producing enough, Schultz could also help take some of the pressure off. Schultz signed a $12.6 million extension in the offseason after finishing 2025 with career highs in catches (82) and yards (777). The veteran was mostly used in the short passing game, as he had the second-most targets (83), second-most receptions (69) and third-most receiving yards (555) at his position for targets under 10 yards (NGS).
As previously mentioned, Stroud will also have to step up to take the offense to the next level. If these things come together, the Texans could be poised to make a run alongside a dominant defense.
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