Reciever outruns injury and gunshot heading into season two.
Selecting Tank Dell with the 69th overall pick, in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans took a chance and caught lightning in a bottle. After meeting in the NFL Scouting Combine, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Dell immediately clicked, leading to Stroud lobbying general manager Nick Caserio to make the third round pick.
Last season was proof that pick was well worth it.
In 11 games, Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards, seven touchdowns with a whopping 15.1 yards per catch average. Unfortunately, week 13 ended Dell’s rookie campaign when he suffered a broken leg against the Denver Broncos.
Throughout the off-season, reports came out of Texans’ nation that Dell was recovering marvelously, and was well ahead of schedule. Then, on a fateful day in April, Dell was shot in a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ scenario.
Break a leg, then get shot. Sounds like plenty of reasons for an NFL career to come to an unexpected end. But, not Dell. He came back in time for the first week of NFL Preseason 2024.
While the second year pass-catcher only had one reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Friday, in true Tank fashion, it was a highlight reel play.
Goodness gracious Tank Dell is a real one
I’ll own ALL my priors of being wrong on him.
I thought he was too diminutive and would get folded.
Kid is special! #Texans got a good one!pic.twitter.com/oBF075eBFM
— Jordan Silveira (@JordanTSilveira) August 9, 2024
With Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz commanding coverage from opposing defenses, Dell will have plenty of opportunity to run wild all over the field in 2024.
And, with all those targets, Stroud has a legit chance at tossing more than 5,000 yards worth of passes this season.
Stay tuned.