2024 was an up-and-down season for the Houston Texans’ wide receivers, not named Nico Collins.
The Stefon Diggs experiment ended in injury and a free-agent exit to the New England Patriots. Second-year receiver Tank Dell had a second season-ending injury that is threatening his availability for the 2025 season. The Texans only had three players above 500 receiving yards in 2024: Collins, Dell, and tight end Dalton Schultz.
With new offensive coordinator Nick Caley coming over from the Los Angeles Rams, the Texans should be able to incorporate a new level of creativity into their offensive schemes. Now that the draft and early free agency are behind us, it is time to look at what we should expect from the wide receivers.
The offense can’t just be Collins and Joe Mixon, so we need to see what to expect from everyone else.
The Vets
Nico Collins is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, amassing 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games.
It’s easy to picture how much more he could have done had he not been sidelined with the hamstring injury. Going into his fifth season, Collins will continue to be the offensive focal point. Getting help to open him up more will be key to his growth.
Christian Kirk is coming off a broken collarbone that cut his 2024 season short. He only had 379 yards and one touchdown in eight games, easily his worst season in seven seasons. What the Texans are looking for is for him to provide that veteran presence in the locker room like Robert Woods did. If he can be a solid number two option behind Collins, there is a chance he can recapture his 2022 form when he went for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season in Jacksonville.
Justin Watson is coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs after three consecutive Super Bowl appearances and two wins. While he wasn’t a mainstay in their offense, he provided a critical veteran presence for Patrick Mahomes. While he only amassed 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns in the three seasons he spent in Kansas City, that knowledge will be invaluable to CJ Stroud and the other receivers. He may not be a big piece of the offense, but his impact as a veteran teacher cannot be overlooked.
The Rookies and Youngsters
Unfortunately, Tank Dell may not be available for the 2025 season.
He was second in receiving yards with 667 and three touchdowns. One of CJ Stroud’s favorite targets, it’ll hurt not having his quickness on the field. John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson didn’t rise to the occasion with all the injuries and rotating pieces, and they have to do more this upcoming season. With them going for 254 and 117 yards respectively, they won’t get the job done going into 2025 and could end up as roster cut candidates if improvements aren’t seen in Caley’s system.
The Texans addressed the glaring need for receiver talent and took Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel from Iowa State in the second and third rounds, respectively. The duo had standout years last season for the Cyclones, with Higgins going for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns and Noel going for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns.
Higgins is a big-bodied receiver who was compared to Nico Collins in the draft process, and he can step in day one to boost the offense and take heat and coverage away from Collins. Noel had a good 40-yard dash time (4.39) and can provide speed and athleticism out of the slot receiver spot. Noel showed steady growth each season at Iowa State. If these gentlemen can come in and put the work in, the glaring issues at wide receiver can be put to rest.
With uncertainty surrounding some of the veterans on the roster, the Cyclone duo will be given plenty of chances to show out.
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