Texans’ troubles set stage for 2021 Draft watch for Dolphins

Texans’ troubles set stage for 2021 Draft watch for Dolphins

Jan 12, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) faces Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward (35) on the line of scrimmage during the AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans sorely missed WR DeAndre Hopkins

The Texans made the stunning decision to trade DeAndre Hopkins earlier this year and the team looked to have no firm answers for how to replace him in Week 1 versus the Chiefs. If the departure of Hopkins leads to a potential regression of QB Deshaun Watson, the Texans will be in big, big trouble. And with no early draft assets (those belong to Miami) to replace him mid-season or ahead of the trade deadline, the Texans will struggle to pivot and compose themselves on the fly.

The Texans have a lot of work to do based on Week 1. But for Dolphins fans, the hope is that the adjustments take a while to get ironed out — and that the team is in too big of a hole to climb out of by the time they get the answers they’re looking for on the heels of a demoralizing defeat to open the season.