The Houston Texans believe they found their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud. Now the offense just needs pass catchers for him.
Enter Tank Dell, who is in the mix for one of the top wide receiver jobs in Houston. Dell made a strong first impression in Houston, leading the Texans with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in the team's 20-9 preseason victory over the New England Patriots.
The touchdown Dell caught was the play of the night for Houston, as he was able to corral a pass he initially juggled in front of Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden in the end zone. For a team looking for playmakers, Dell was able to provide a highlight catch when his team needed one.
"It was good to see Tank make some plays," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said to reporters after the game. "We've seen him make a lot of plays throughout training camp, some of these same plays, so it was good to see him do the same thing here in a game. He's going to be an explosive playmaker for us, and we look forward to him continuing to make some of those plays."
Dell, a third-round pick from the University of Houston, caught 109 passes for 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns last season for the Cougars. He has 199 catches for 2,727 yards and 29 touchdowns over the last two seasons, becoming one of the most productive receivers in college football.
The Texans are looking for pass catchers for Stround in his rookie season. Dell is competing with Nico Collins, John Metchie III, and Robert Woods for snaps in the offense. Noah Brown and fellow rookie receiver Xavier Hutchinson are also in the mix.
Regardless of who plays, Dell sees the potential of the offense going forward. He's looking to factor into the equation.
"I think the offense is special, I think we started a little slow and then we got rolling as we got going," Dell said. "I think it is going to be really special, we have a really good running game and a well-balanced passing game. We have a lot of talent and a lot of guys we can get the ball to and a lot of good guys up front to hold up.
"I think we have the quarterbacks to get the ball to the right guys and I think it is an exciting offense for sure."
