Houston Texans rookie Tank Dell is emerging as one of the best first-year receivers the franchise has ever seen. Dell currently has 659 yards on the season, with 42 receptions and six touchdowns. He can chase the records of Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins who jotted 976 and 802 receiving yards in their respective rookie classes, but either way, it's been a tremendous season for Dell, per Tony Holzman-Escareno at NFL Research.
He serves as the deep threat for ultra-talented quarterback C.J. Stroud, with their relationship dating back to just before the NFL draft. After working out with Dell, the Texans asked Stroud what he'd like to see from the 2023 class. Stroud made it clear that he wanted Houston to go get Dell, and that's exactly what they did in round three of the draft.
Since Dell's arrival in Houston, there's been a spark to the offense, with his explosiveness being a nightmare for opposing secondaries. In their time with the Texans, Johnson and Hopkins were able to bring life to the scoreboard and stretch plays as well.
Dell has seven games left this season, so there's a clear opening for him to pass Hopkins and break Johnson's record. In the last three weeks, he's hauled in at least one touchdown, with two games over 100 receiving yards. He's getting comfortable in the NFL gridiron and continues to find how to stay consistent against different defensive schemes.
The Houston Cougars product looks like a franchise piece, especially with Stroud throwing him the ball. There hasn't been much excitement around the Texans organization prior to this season, but Dell certainly gets people on their feet on Sundays.
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