EVERY-THING SPORTS

It sure seems like Houston Texans have a star in the making

Houston Texans Tank Dell
Tank Dell looks like the steal of the draft. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Texans are a team on the come up. Part of that come up is establishing new stars. Finding guys that can play is one thing, but a team needs guys that will appeal to fans and others in order to further establish a brand. The brand? Winning, being popular, and must-see television. Sure, having numbers two and three overall at two of the most important positions on the field helps. A quarterback and a pass rusher impact winning far greater than a wide receiver can. But receivers can put asses every 18 inches with their flare for the dramatics.

Last week, I wrote about the Texans catching lightening in a bottle. Part of that was talking about my observations on several players. The one that stuck out the most was Tank Dell. His speed stuck out most, but there were other things I really liked about him:

Dawgs: I LOVED seeing guys get after it! Tank Dell was the most impressive guy vs. the Patriots. He's going to have the slot WR job locked up very soon. He may even push to start since he's clearly a matchup nightmare. Will Anderson Jr is so quick/fast. His speed/quickness jumps out at you when watching him. Seeing him blow up run plays and cause the QB to get sacked by trying to escape his pressure will be more fun when the games count.

When he was drafted, most probably thought Dell would be a slot receiver. After watching him play his first game, he may make waves to push for a starting job. His size (listed as 5'8, 165 pounds) isn't ideal for an X or Z receiver. The same was once said about guys like Tyreek Hill (5'10, 191 pounds) and Steve Smith Sr (5'9, 195 pounds). Both guys make/made a huge impact on the game from the X and Z positions despite size limitations. Hill is an All-Pro and considered one of the best receivers in the game. Smith Sr was an All-Pro as well and arguably a Hall of Famer.

Another reason I can see Dell earning a starting job is the wide receiver depth on this team. Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and Noah Brown are all listed ahead of him currently. Woods is a solid vet with 10 years experience. I expect him to start given his experience, especially with a rookie quarterback. Brown has five years, while Collins has two. Neither of those guys have shown they're entrenched. Collins is a big body who might start to give C.J. Stroud a big target on the outside. However, NONE of these guys create the matchup problem Dell does!

As you can see, I'm not the only one thinking this. Dell and Stroud have been working together since being drafted. One thing I've noticed is that Dell and Stroud both seem very committed to their craft and developing chemistry. Whenever a receiver and quarterback work on chemistry off the field and outside of practice, it tends to show up on game days. I want to give the other vets in the receiver room more credit, but this kid is so exciting. He's already a matchup nightmare.

While his size may be a concern, those other guys I listed, as well many others, have had productive careers being one of the smaller players on the field. Ideally, I'd like to see Collins and Dell start alongside Woods. This gives them a big body in Collins, a crafty vet in Woods, and Dell as a field-stretching matchup nightmare. Mark my words, this kid WILL be a star!

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Quinn Ewers is headed to the NFL. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday, ending a Longhorns career in which he led the program to a Big 12 championship and twice to the College Football Playoff but was not always embraced by a fan base eagerly waiting for Arch Manning to take over.

Ewers passed for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns in a career that few Texas quarterbacks can match. He had hinted before the season ended that it would be his last in college.

“These past three years have been some of the best years I could have imagined,” Ewers said in social media post announcing his decision. “The relationships I've built between coaches and teammates will last forever.”

His 27 career wins rank fourth as a starting quarterback at Texas, and he led the Longhorns to their first Big 12 title in 14 years in 2023 before the program moved to the Southeastern Conference. In their first season in the SEC, the Longhorns rose to their first No. 1 ranking since 2008 and played in the league championship game.

Ewers' biggest legacy will be leading the program to the playoff semifinals in consecutive years, though it fell short of the championship game. He had a fumble on a sack that led to a game-clinching touchdown for Ohio State on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl.

Ewers' career

Ewers, who grew up in the Dallas suburbs, was the top-rated high school quarterback in the country when he signed with Ohio State and left school early to the join the Buckeyes for the 2021 season. But after one season spent deep on the Ohio State depth chart, Ewers transferred to Texas, which had just finished 5-7 in coach Steve Sarkisian's first season.

He was the starter by the season opener in 2022 and led the team through seasons of 8-5, 12-2 and 13-3 records. But he was dogged by various shoulder, abdomen and ankle injuries and missed at least two games each season. An abdomen strain this season allowed Manning to start twice and earn the program's first SEC win, which came against Mississippi State.

Make way for Manning

Ewers' departure sets the stage for Manning to take over in 2025.

The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four TDs this season but has seen only limited playing time since September.

Texas fans have been eagerly awaiting his chance to be the full-time starter. Manning will get it with a rebuilt offense.

Top receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond have declared for the draft and senior tight end Gunnar Helm completed his eligibility. Running back Jaydon Blue, who scored a team-high 14 touchdowns including four in the playoffs, and starting tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cam Williams also left for the NFL.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome