Yahoo Sports Texans WR depth chart: Nico Collins injury opens door for Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson
The Houston Texans lost wide receiver Nico Collins to a hamstring injury in their 23-20 Week 5 over the Buffalo Bills.
The Texans originally hoped Collins' absence would be short-term, potentially just a matter of days. However, three days after the injury, Houston reportedly placed Collins on IR. That will create a hole in the Texans' receiver room that won't be easy to fill.
Collins is leading the NFL in receiving yards through five weeks with 567. He established himself as C.J. Stroud's favorite target and generated three games with 100-plus receiving yards in his first five of the season.
The silver lining for Texans fans? Houston has one of the most talented receiver rooms in the NFL. Here's a look at the Texans' depth chart and how Houston will replace Collins' production.
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Texans WR depth chart
The Texans have six wide-outs on their active roster after Collins' placement on IR. Below is a look at the six and where they figure to fit in the team's new pecking order at receiver:
The Texans also have Johnny Johnson III, a three-year NFL veteran who played collegiately at Oregon, on their practice squad.
But what roles will each receiver play? Here's a breakdown of what to expect from Houston's wide receiver room.
Stefon Diggs
Diggs figures to be the primary beneficiary from Collins' absence. The 10-year veteran developed an immediate chemistry with Stroud and saw 41 targets over the first five games, just four fewer than Collins. Diggs isn't as much of a downfield playmaker as his counterpart, but the former Bills receiver's 31 catches, 315 yards, and two touchdowns all rank second on the team.
Diggs will now transition into the No. 1 receiver role he has played for most of his career while still manning the slot in most three-wide sets. He already saw the most offensive snaps among Texans receivers (82.3 percent), so his opportunities should only continue to rise as he absorbs some of Collins' targets.
Tank Dell
Dell was a revelation as a second-round rookie in 2023. He quickly developed into one of Stroud's favorite targets and generated 709 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 catches before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
Dell hasn't been quite as explosive in 2024 and missed a game due to a rib injury. He is averaging just 10.5 yards per catch (compared to 15.1 as a rookie) and ranks fourth in receiving yards behind Collins, Diggs, and running back Dare Ogunbowale.
Still, Dell figures to see an uptick in opportunities after playing just 52.4 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps to begin the season. That should allow the diminutive speedster more opportunities to generate dynamic downfield passing plays, as he often did last season.
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Xavier Hutchinson
Hutchinson appears to be ahead of Woods on Houston's depth chart. The 2023 sixth-round pick played a season-high 48 offensive snaps (71 percent) against the Bills after Collins went down with his injury, while Woods played just 16 (24 percent).
Hutchinson (6'3'', 210 pounds) is similar in stature to the 6' 222-pound Collins, so that may have influenced Ryans and Bobby Slowik to choose the young playmaker over Woods. The Texans may also view Hutchinson as the better outside receiver, the role Collins primarily operates in as opposed to the slot.
Robert Woods
While Hutchinson replaced Collins against the Bills, Woods was the next man up at receiver in Week 4, when Dell was out of action due to a rib injury. Woods played 54 snaps in that contest, 32 out wide and 22 in the slot, per Pro Football Focus.
Woods' inside/outside versatility makes him a nice fit as a No. 4 receiver, as he can play any role if called upon. It doesn't make him as great of a natural replacement for Collins, who played just 34 slot snaps over the first five weeks of the season. That's part of the reason Hutchinson seems likely to get the nod over him, barring changes to Ryans and Slowik's philosophy.
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John Metchie III
Metchie was the Texans' second-round pick in 2022, but he hasn't played much for them. He missed his rookie season after battling leukemia and played just 27.3 percent of the team's offensive snaps last season. He has played just 12 offensive snaps in 2024, logging one catch for seven yards, so it's unlikely he will do much with Collins out.
Steven Sims
Sims' role on offense is even smaller than Metchie's. He has played two snaps in four games and has one carry for zero yards. Sims may be active on game days because the Texans use him as a return man, but don't expect him to shoulder any of the workload Collins normally would.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Nico Collins injury impacts Houston Texans WR depth chart
