2021 NFL Draft: Five under-the-radar rookies for the 2021 season
By Kyle Edmond
Nico Collins, WR, HOU
After having one of the more intriguing wide receiver rooms in the league just a little over a year ago with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, the Houston Texans’ receiver corps is almost unrecognizable now. Both Hopkins and Fuller have moved on and what remains is a hodgepodge of journeymen veterans like Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb.
Now, it should be said that the Texans have added a lot to the room this offseason, but quantity isn’t always quality. The names added in free agency include Andre Roberts, Chris Conley, Donte Moncrief, Chris Moore, and Alex Erickson. However, the best option of the new additions was the only wide receiver they took in the draft, and one of only four total picks, Nico Collins.
Collins didn’t exactly light it up at Michigan and he sat out the 2020 season, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t break out in Houston. Like St. Brown in Detroit, Collins will have plenty of opportunities in Houston to further his career and gain more time on the field given the position depth at wide receiver for the Texans.
Over just 27 games at Michigan, Collins totaled 1,388 yards on 78 catches with 13 touchdowns. His best season saw seven scores and 729 receiving yards on 37 receptions. However, the volume wasn’t quite there. It will be in Houston and that could be the difference for Collins to far exceed expectations early in his career.