Texans Wide Receivers Generate Buzz Ahead of Training Camp

Tank Dell is the story of the offseason this June in Houston. The Texans wide receiver is not only back on the practice field, but moving like he did prior to a gruesome injury that kept him off the field last season.

The injury included a torn ACL, MCL and LCL among damage to various other components of his knee. And since an ACL tear could prevent an athlete from ever returning to health again, the added tears made many wonder what Dell’s shot would be at making it back to the league.

The return of Dell has wide ranging effects on the Texans’ 2026 prospects. It changes how defenses prepare for the team with two dynamic threats in Dell and Nico Collins as opposed to one. It has some analysts thinking Houston could have one of the more dangerous receiver rooms in football.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report provided his 10 best wide receiver rooms in the National Football League. Davenport ranked the Texans as the No. 10 receiver unit in the NFL. Here’s what he had to say about that ranking.

“After a 2025 postseason beset by turnovers, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has a lot on the line this year. But if he fails to meet expectations, it won’t be because of a lack of passing-game talent.

Nico Collins doesn’t get the run he deserves as one of the league’s elite receivers. But the 27-year-old has topped 1,000 receiving yards three years running and has averaged 15 yards a reception for his career.

However, it could be the return of a healthy Tank Dell that takes Houston’s passing game to a new level. Dell appeared on the track to stardom before a devastating knee injury at the end of the 2024 season wiped out all of last year.”

To be sure, if Dell returns to any semblance of the receiver that he was prior to injury, the trio of Dell, Collins and Jayden Higgins could rank much higher than tenth-best in the league. Collins and Higgins bring plenty of reason to be excited about the Texans offense in their own right.

Last year, Higgins put up just under 13.0 yards per reception and six touchdowns for Houston. With Dell in the mix, one could reasonably expect more production from the former Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver.

Look for the Texans receiver room to help fix some of Houston’s offensive issues when they take the field in Week 1.