Someone has to catch those passes.
It isn’t hard to shut down a passing attack if only 1 of the top 3 wide receivers is on the field. Even if that 1 is Nico Collins.
Or even Andre Johnson.
While Nick Caserio and the Houston Texans brass have a lot of work to do getting the offensive line to stop playing offensively, they also need help at wide receiver.
Tank Dell should return from injury and add some productivity. However, like Will Fuller V, an electric receiver isn’t much help when they mainly appear on the injury list.
People may ask about Stefon Diggs, but re-signing him is a high-risk, low-reward move Houston would be wise to avoid. An aging veteran coming off an ACL injury isn’t the sort of thing a young, aspiring team needs to get over the playoff hump.
Thankfully, the free agent “tampering period” is less than 2 weeks away and the NFL Draft is less than two months away, providing the Texans with a bevy of pass catching options.
Here are a few free agents to consider in PFF’s top to bottom order.
1. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals free agent.
Higgins rarely missed playing time over his first three seasons but has, unfortunately, been bitten by the injury bug in back-to-back contract years. That said, when Higgins suited up in 2024, he consistently produced at a high level. The fourth-ranked player in PFF’s Free Agency Rankings last season, Higgins figures to be one of the most sought-after players on the market again in 2025.
“Bitten by the injury bug” sure sounds familiar. And Higgins is likely to draw big bucks. Somewhere, an NFL GM is thinking about pairing Higgins with Aaron Rogers or some other big name quarterback in order to sell season tickets and PSLs. Hopefully, Caserio isn’t that GM.
2. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent
Godwin has consistently displayed reliable hands, dropping fewer than 6% of catchable passes in seven of his eight NFL seasons. He maintained that standard in 2024, earning an 85.7 PFF receiving grade through nearly seven weeks without a single drop on 52 catchable targets. However, Godwin sustained a season-ending left ankle dislocation. He is no stranger to entering free agency with an injury, and hopefully, the recovery will be even quicker this time around.
Another injured wideout, but an ankle injury isn’t nearly as debilitating as a torn ACL. Maybe Godwin works well with Collins and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud? Maybe not.
3. Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills free agent
Even at 30 years old, Cooper will be an attractive option for teams looking to improve at wide receiver, having earned a PFF receiving grade above 70.0 in every full season he has been in the league. He struggled with drops in 2024, though, failing to bring in 15.4% of the catchable passes thrown his way in the regular season.
We’ve all heard about Texans coach DeMeco Ryans’ fondness for Alabama Crimson Tide products, but Cooper has never quite managed to live up to the hype he carried entering the league. Not sure this is a great move for H-Town…
4. Deandre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs free agent
Hopkins was traded at the deadline from the struggling Tennessee Titans to the perennial Super Bowl contender Kansas City Chiefs. A national spotlight through the playoffs never hurts, and Hopkins continued to play through a knee injury, which suggests he can fully heal up over the offseason in time for 2025.
Talk about a polarizing option. Some Texans fans will clamor for the homecoming of Hopkins while others will want nothing to do with the mercurial vet. Having him in his prime with Stroud and Collins would bring back shades of him and Johnson in their glory days for sure. But it’s hard to imagine recapturing that lightning in a bottle.
5. Darius Slayton, New York Giants free agent
Shaky quarterback and offensive line play arguably limited Slayton’s production during his time with the Giants, which is unfortunate for a player who is a threat to break off an explosive play at any moment. The former fifth-round steal nonetheless had four seasons of at least 700 receiving yards on 15 yards per reception over his first five years in the league, which is harder to do when the quarterback has little time to wait for longer-developing routes downfield. Slayton is also the Giants’ 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, showing he’d be an asset to any locker room.
Slayton might be the most intriguing option on this list. The Texans don’t need another Collins, but a bookend to Dell might just keep defenses honest, opening up plenty of opportunities for Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz in the short and Intermediate range. Not to mention having a 1-2 punch of Dell and Slayton could bring a lot of exciting big chunk plays to the Texans offense. Add the threat of Joe Mixon’s bruising runs and opposing defenses might have more than they can handle each and every week.
There you have it, 5 choices to join the Texans wide receiver room. Granted, Caserio is going to need to carve out more cap space to make it happen, but he’s done it before and will do it again.