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    • How Nico Collins’ injury affects the Houston Texans WR depth chart
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    How Nico Collins’ injury affects the Houston Texans WR depth chart

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    The Houston Texans lost wide receiver Nico Collins to a hamstring injury in their 23-20 Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills.

    The Texans originally hoped Collins’ absence would be short-lived, perhaps just a matter of days. However, three days after the injury, Houston reportedly placed Collins on IR. This creates a gap in the Texans’ receiver room that won’t be easy to fill.

    With 567 yards, Collins leads the NFL through five weeks. He established himself as CJ Stroud’s favorite target, generating three games of over 100 receiving yards in his first five games 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 wideouts on their active roster after Collins was placed on IR. Below is a look at the six and where they are expected to fit in the team’s new pecking order at receiver:

    1. Stefon Diggs
    2. Tank Dell
    3. Xavier Hutchinson
    4. Robert Woods
    5. John Metchie III
    6. Steven Sims

    The Texans also have Johnny Johnson III, a three-year NFL veteran who played college 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 appears to be the main beneficiary of Collins’ absence. The 10-year veteran immediately developed chemistry with Stroud, scoring 41 goals in the first five games, just four fewer than Collins. Diggs isn’t as big of a downfield playmaker as his counterpart, but the former Bills receiver ranks second on the team with 31 catches, 315 yards and two touchdowns, all of which are second on the team.

    Diggs will now move 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 chances should continue to increase as he intercepts some of Collins’ targets.

    Tank Dell

    As a second-round rookie in 2023, Dell was a revelation. He quickly became one of Stroud’s favorite targets, rushing for 709 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 catches before suffering a season-ending leg injury.

    Dell wasn’t quite as explosive in 2024 and missed one game with a rib injury. He averages 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 expects the chances to increase after only 52.4 percent of the Texans’ offensive shots were made at the start of the season. This should give the little speedster more opportunities to generate dynamic passing plays downfield, 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 was sidelined with his injury, while Woods played just 16 (24 percent).

    Hutchinson (6’3″, 210 pounds) has a similar build to the 6′ 222 pound Collins, which may have led Ryans and Bobby Slowik to choose the young playmaker over Woods. The Texans may also view Hutchinson as the better outside receiver since Collins is primarily a role player rather than a player.

    Robert Woods

    While Hutchinson replaced Collins against the Bills, Woods was the next man at receiver in Week 4 when Dell was out of action with a rib injury. According to Pro Football Focus, Woods played 54 snaps, 32 out wide and 22 in the slot in this contest.

    Woods’ versatility between inside and outside makes him a good receiver as the No. 4 receiver, as he can play any role when needed. That doesn’t make him an ideal replacement for Collins, who has played just 34 slot snaps through the first five weeks of the season. That’s one reason Hutchinson will likely get the nod unless Ryan and Slowik’s philosophy changes.

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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 played just 12 offensive snaps in 2024, logging one catch for seven yards. Therefore, it is unlikely that he will achieve much without Collins.

    Steven Sims

    Sims’ role on offense is even smaller than Metchie’s. He played two snaps and one carry for zero yards in four games. Sims may be active on game days because the Texans are using him as a returner, but don’t expect him to take on the workload that Collins normally would.

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    Idris Bevan
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