Entering the 2019 season, the Houston Texans had at least two studs among the offensive skill positions with quarterback Deshaun Watson and receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Watson was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection after the Texans won the AFC South, and Hopkins collected his third first-team All-Pro.
Entering 2021, the Texans don’t exactly have the same firepower or star power on offense.
According to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, the Texans could have the worst group of offensive skill positions in the league.
The offensive line doesn’t look so bad, but this is the worst collection of skill-position players in the league. Tyrod Taylor is fighting an uphill battle yet again and will mostly be asked to avoid turning the ball over, which is his superpower. Taylor was once one of the best pure runners in football at any position, but that’s not his game anymore at age 31.
What the Texans do have in receiver Brandin Cooks is a reliable receiver who will get his separation and catches. Last season, amid the Texans’ 4-12 disaster, Cooks caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns through 15 games, all of which he started.
Cooks told reporters on May 27 that the offense is working on cohesion throughout the organized team activities.
“We’re throwing, getting used to the timing with the quarterbacks, the individuals, things like that,” Cooks said. “Coming together and learning how one another talk, how one another runs a route, how a quarterback wants it and what not. At the end of the day, building that camaraderie with all of us in the building right now.”
As long as the Texans’ skill positions are on the same page, regardless of where they rank in the eyes of the media, they should be able to help Houston be competitive and recover from their 4-12 record and third-place finish in the AFC South.
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