Texans' Electrifying Weapon Named Potential Trade Candidate

This Houston Texans playmaker has been named a potential trade candidate following the NFL Draft.

Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) celebrates his touchdown reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans took a pair of Iowa State wide receivers in the NFL Draft, selecting both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel on Day 2 last Friday.

Higgins and Noel will join a Texans receiving corps led by Nico Collins, but given that Stefon Diggs departed via free agency and Tank Dell is slated to miss all of next season while recovering from a knee injury, the rookie duo will be under considerable pressure to produce.

Both young wide outs are full of potential, and it could make Houston's receiver group exceedingly dangerous for years to come. But what does it mean for Dell?

When healthy, Dell has displayed that he is an explosive weapon, to say the least. He caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games during his rookie campaign in 2023, and last season, he snared 51 balls for 667 yards and three scores in 14 contests.

Well, the 25-year-old has just two years remaining on his deal, and Ryan Heckman of Toro Times feels that the Texans may be preparing to cut ties with him.

"When the Texans chose to spend an early pick on Jayden Higgins, that decision immediately drew attention to Tank Dell," Heckman wrote. "And, that isn't saying Dell deserves to lose his job by any means. But, he's coming off his second-straight severe injury to start his young career and won't return until late into the season. Spending high draft capital on Higgins all but signals that the Texans could view Dell as a player they're willing to let go of after his rookie contract is up, or even put on the trade block when he's finally healthy."

Heckman neglects to mention that Houston also took Noel, further muddying Dell's future with the team.

Dell's injury history is definitely concerning, and it could ultimately lead to the Texans deciding that it would be best to head in a different direction. Of course, how much trade value the former third-round pick would actually hold with his medical records is debatable.

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