HOUSTON — Amid a 1-6 season and a losing streak that has reached half a dozen, the 2021 campaign has been an inevitable disaster for the Houston Texans. But among all the mishaps, there have been a few reasons for the organization to feel optimistic, and one is the emergence of rookie wide receiver Nico Collins.
Since making his NFL debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Collins is slowly becoming a reliable target for the Texans. He has notched 111 yards in receiving on eight catches, and if not for a pass interference violation, the rookie receiver might’ve had a touchdown added to his name.
By trading up in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Texans took a glaring risk when selecting Collins with the 89th overall pick in the third round. But it’s a gamble the Texans feel they are starting to reap the benefits of four games into Collins’ career.
“I’ve seen progress with him,” coach David Culley said after Collins caught two balls for 28 yards during a loss against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. “He had a drop [on Sunday] that’s uncharacteristic of him. But overall, he’s doing exactly what we expected from him.”
“Hopefully as we move forward, he becomes more involved in doing the things we want him to do. As we get better offensively, all across the board, we start to play better and be better for us.”
What made the draft selection of Collins a precarious selection for the Texans was due to his lack of college experience — similar to his draftmate Davis Mills.
Collins appeared in 27 games for the Michigan Wolverines between his freshman and junior year of college. During the 2020 collegiate season, Collins opted out of his senior year to focus on enhancing his attributes as a receiver to increase his draft stock.
A quarter into his NFL career, it’s a decision Collins believes was worth the investment as he has seen an improvement in his route running when coming out of his breaks cleaner and smoother.
But despite the improvements from college to the NFL, Collins isn’t satisfied. Every day, he is continuously seeking a portion of his game to refine to become a superior receiver.
“The strides that he made, to be able to miss those games and come out like that and play big in some of those one-on-one situations and make plays — that’s what I expect from him,” Brandin Cooks said. “The guy is a great player. He’s continuing to learn, I love playing out there on the field with him, and I look forward to seeing him get better every single game.”
When Collins was on the sideline due to an injured shoulder, he took advantage of the three-week absence to learn the mental aspect of the game from Cooks.
As a receiver who has recorded over 1,000 reception yards in five out of his eight years in the league, Collins says he appreciates Cooks and strives to be just as great as the Texan veteran. Since the start of OTAs in late May, Cooks has shared advice with Collins on becoming a prominent receiver that includes: route running, footwork, and how to move on to the next play when there is a feeling of messing up.
With his endless work ethic and desire to enhance his game, the 2020s for the Texans could ensue in Collins following in the footsteps of Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins as Houston’s next transcendent receiver.
“Everybody is good on this level — some things that I got away with in college, you can’t get away with on this level,” Collins said. “I work every day on trying to give defensive backs no indicators which way I’m breaking, in or out. That’s why I feel like every day there’s room for improvement with my game.”