The Houston Texans had an unbelievable year.
After three consecutive, dreadful campaigns in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively, they turned things around in a big way under first year head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
In a season that saw players step up across the board, it’s a fruitful exercise to look at who made the biggest impact on the Texans making such a dramatic leap and if they’re likely to repeat that same type of performance in 2024.
This list is counting through the Top 15 Most Impactful Texans, with Sheldon Rankins and Devin Singletary already receiving well-deserved nods. Now, attention turns to the explosive rookie wide receiver Tank Dell.
Background
General manager Nick Caserio had selected wide receivers during Day 2 of his first two drafts with Nico Collins and John Metchie. He continued that trend in 2023 by trading up to 69th overall and selecting receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell from the University of Houston.
Dell was dominant during his tenure as a Cougar with two consecutive 1,300-plus receiving seasons. He had an incredible week at the 2023 Senior Bowl where he showed off precise, explosive route running and it was also anticipated that he would contribute to the return game.
If there were any concerns around Dell, it was because of his size. He came in at 5’8″ during the NFL combine and weighed less than 190 pounds. How his smaller stature would translate to press coverage and larger defensive backs was a looming question for his 2023 season.
Tank Dell is going to be one of the biggest draft L’s I’ve had to eat and I’m so happy to do so.
Immediate contributor, excellent routes, obvious chemistry with C.J. Stroud #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) September 24, 2023
He entered training camp behind veteran receivers Noah Brown and Nico Collins on the depth chart and, following a breakout preseason game against the New England Patriots, there was general hope he would at least serve as a strong tertiary option in 2023.
2023 Performance
The Texans were at their absolute best with Dell on the field.
In his 11 games, he was far more than a tertiary option for Stroud and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. His diminutive size did little to bother him as he had 47 receptions for 709 yards and was pacing to smash franchise rookie records from DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson prior to fracturing his fibula in Week 13.
Hilarious for all the pre-draft concern about Tank Dell and how he'd managed press coverage… He's not seeing it
Dell saw off coverage (5+ yard cushion) on 63.2% of his routes yesterday that translated to 5 receptions for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He's a problem #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) November 6, 2023
Despite the injury, Dell’s position on this list is well-deserved. He frequently functioned as the top target on offense and did so in huge wins over Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Arizona. There’s also something to be said of his relationship with Stroud.
The franchise quarterback frequently referred to Dell as his “best friend” on the team and their trust was evident on the football field. It changed the dynamic of how teams were guarding them and, when both Collins and Dell were available, they looked like the most explosive offense in football.
CJ STROUD. ABSOLUTE DIME.
📺: #AZvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/XAxQ4LyKR1— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
Dell may not have secured the rookie records, but he did secure a firm spot in the future of the organization as a likely top target for the duration of Stroud’s rookie contract.
2024 Projection
Dell should be 100 percent coming off his injury by organized team activities and certainly by training camp in the summer.
The explosive University of Houston product projects as a 1B in Houston’s receiving group to Nico Collins’ 1A and could very well be placed next to another explosive weapon in the form of a free agent addition or highly drafted rookie in April’s draft.
This throw and catch to set up the game-winning touchdown.
CJ Stroud 🤝 Tank Dell pic.twitter.com/58yhquLlHE
— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
There will be expectations for Dell to surpass 1,000 yards in his sophomore campaign and build on a breakout rookie year. He’s also going to be a household name for fantasy football fanatics.
The depth of Dell’s role will be hard to determine for a few more months. Houston has plenty of cap room to bring in a veteran name, like Mike Evans, and has choices to make around their own veterans, such as tight end Dalton Schultz. Regardless of the supporting cast, however, it’s hard to imagine Dell shrinking once he’s fully recovered from his ankle injury.
