Who is going to be the number one receiver for the Houston Texans in 2020? That was the top question from the general public following the trade of DeAndre Hopkins last March.
There was a sense that Will Fuller could fill in the void left by Hopkins. But Fuller’s inability to play an entire 16-game season remained the reason why the Notre Dame prodigy would not live up to the expectations. Last year, Fuller appeared in 11 games before a suspension for performance enhancing drug violations ended his season prematurely. But who did aid the departure of Hopkins was Brandin Cooks.
The 27-year-old wideout from Oregon State finished the 2020 season with one of the best campaigns of his career. Cooks recorded a team-best 1,150 yards on 81 receptions and six touchdowns in 15 games.
Cooks’ near Pro-Bowl season might have ended in the Texans only winning four out of their 16 games. But according to Pro Football Focus, Cooks’ play resulted in him coming into 2021 as the 26th best wide receiver in the league.
“While a bevy of issues plagued Houston in 2020, that didn’t stop Cooks — who was playing for his fourth team in five years — from producing at a high level. He cracked the top 25 in both receiving grade (80.5) and yards per route run (2.05), both of which were the second-best marks of his career. With the help of his wheels, Cooks came away with 13 deep receptions in 2020, tying with Tyreek Hill for the third-most.” — PFF
Cooks joined the Texans last April following a trade from the Los Angeles Rams. His first season in Houston marked the fifth time in Cooks’ career where he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards.
On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus began their series of ranking the best 32 players at each position ahead of the 2021 season. Through their first three positional rankings, Pro Football Focus considered Deshaun Watson as the league’s fifth-best quarterback.
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