'One of a Kind!' Texans WR Tank Dell Stars in Joint Practice vs. Dolphins
Houston Texans receiver Tank Dell started on the outside left, staring down Miami Dolphins cornerback Tino Ellis in joint practice one-on-ones.
Dell accelerated left, pressed towards Ellis' outside and forced him to open his hips. Within a second, Dell stopped, broke inside and found himself with plenty of space between he and Ellis before hauling in the pass, capping off an impressive all-around rep.
But for Dell, the rep wasn't even the most impressive feat he accomplished during practice with Miami - the day before, he caught three touchdowns in red zone drills.
This week, of course, is just days after Dell led Houston in receiving during its preseason-opening victory over the New England Patriots, posting five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown while adding 13 yards on a punt return.
The result? A quickly rising profile for Dell within the Texans' locker room, as much for his work on the field as off of it - just ask defensive end Will Anderson Jr. for his thoughts on his fellow rookie teammate.
“He’s electrifying," Anderson Jr. said. "He can make anybody miss. Great feet, can go up and get the ball, fast – he’s just a one-of-a-kind type guy. He works really hard and he’s always out here on the JUGS every day, and as a receiver, I think that’s a big thing to do.
"He just shows and proves why he belongs.”
Anderson Jr. added that having Dell's presence forces defenses to get to the quarterback faster so that the talented wideout doesn't even have the opportunity to get started.
Texans linebacker Christian Harris, entering his second year in Houston, delivered similar thoughts on Dell, sparked in part from his performances this summer ... and only aided by his recent experience using the former University of Houston star on the new "Madden" video game.
“That’s a dawg, bro," Harris said. "It’s sticky like – I was just playing (with) him on Madden last night – it’s really crazy. He’s sticky, but he’s a nice player for sure. I only had a couple of times really matched up with him, but it’s just kind of based off of within the rules of the defense, so it’s not too much man-to-man on him, but like I said, he’s a great player for sure. "
Harris noted he used Dell in a variety of ways, most notably as a kick returner, and called him "shifty as hell" - which Ellis and the Dolphins found out several times during the week.
The question now becomes what Dell does for an encore in the preseason contest between the two sides - with kickoff at NRG Stadium set for 4 p.m. EST Saturday.
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