After a historic season, the sophomore slump hit C.J. Stroud hard, as a depleted offensive line, along with key injuries to his wide receiver room, forced him to be far from his usual self this past season. However, despite a lackluster offense, a stout defense was able to lift Houston to a Divisional Round appearance.
Still, heading into next season, a key emphasis has to be on building out the Texans’ offensive weapons and letting Stroud cook. If the offense can match the defense’s productivity, then we might have an instant contender on our hands. And one analyst believes the way forward for Houston is to build out its weapons through the NFL Draft.
Houston Texans Predicted To Find Insurance for Wide Receiver Injuries
Last year was a tough one for the Texans to swallow on the sheer number of injuries alone. Each of their top three wide receivers going into the year — Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs — had to miss large portions of the season.
With Diggs officially a free agent, the focus for the Texans has to be building out the depth of their WR corps. Joe DeLeone of PFSN believes Tank Dell is a name in particular that Houston has to be mindful of, given his injury history.
As a result, DeLeone has the Chargers targeting Utah State WR Jalen Royals in his latest mock draft as a potential replacement or even a complementary piece, given his uniquely versatile skill set.
“The inconsistent health of Tank Dell should spark urgency in the Texans’ front office to find a strong tertiary option for C.J. Stroud. Jalen Royals is a shifty route runner who can thrive in the slot with his quick feet and consistent hands.”
Over his two seasons, Dell has played in 25 total games, with major-scale injuries keeping him out for large portions of the seasons.
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On the other hand, Royals has had a relatively injury-free run with the Aggies, giving optimism for his potential selection. Exceptionally brilliant with explosive plays, he had a career collegiate yards per attempt average of 15.2, totaling over 1,900 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his two years with Utah State.
Royals could be an instant boost to a Texans offense that finished in the bottom five of PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Simultaneously, his availability should give Stroud another premier threat and help him improve last season’s 27th-ranked finish in PFSN’s QB+ metric.