Nico Collins has been a force to be reckoned with for the now 3-1 Houston Texans. Following his 151-yard performance on Sunday, Collins is on pace to become the first player to record 2,000 receiving yards in a season.
The journey to becoming an elite NFL receiver has been arduous for the former Michigan Wolverine.
The Houston Texans selected Collins with the 89th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him the 14th receiver drafted in his class. Through his first two seasons in Houston, Collins totaled 927 receiving yards and a measly three touchdowns.
In addition to a lack of volume, injuries slowed Collins' early development. According to Draft Sharks, Collins experienced five injuries throughout his first two seasons, including a shoulder injury that sidelined him for three games in 2021.
Entering his third season, Collins was paired with his third head coach, third offensive coordinator and fifth quarterback. DeMeco Ryans was entering his first year as an NFL head coach, Bobby Slowik was entering his first year as an NFL offensive coordinator, and quarterback C.J. Stroud was fresh out of Ohio State.
Despite being listed as the team's primary receiver for the first time in his career, it looked to be an uphill battle for Collins to see much success during his third year in Houston.
The Texans overcame all the adversity thrown at them and excelled. Stroud was an early MVP candidate in 2023, won Offensive Rookie of the Year and connected with Collins for 1,297 yards and eight scores.
Houston won its first playoff game in four years in large part thanks to Collins, who posted 96 yards and a score in his postseason debut.
The Texans rewarded Collins for his breakout season with a massive three-year extension worth $72.75 million.
Entering the 2024 season, all eyes were on Houston to continue to build on their unprecedented rise to the top of the AFC South. For the first time in his career, Collins had an elite quarterback and a returning head coach and offensive coordinator.
Now four games into their second season together, the Stroud-Collins connection has been the most productive in the league, and it's not particularly close.
Collins currently sits at 489 receiving yards, 103 more than the next closest receiver before the doubleheader on Monday night. His 489 yards through four games are the most by a Texan during the first four games of a season in the franchise's 22-year history.
Collins spoke on his recent success and his mindset going forward during a news conference following Houston's 24-20 victory Sunday.
"It doesn't feel real," Collins said. "Those (are the) types of achievements you want to have. It's early, but it's a great position to be in right now. I feel like for me - continue to be myself, don't get comfortable and continue to build. It's a marathon."
If Collins can maintain his current pace and play in all 17 games, he will finish his fourth season with 128 receptions, 2,078 yards and nine touchdowns. His receiving yardage total would break Calvin Johnson's record for most in a season by 114 yards.
Houston's next test will come in Week 5 when they play host to a Bills team that has allowed only 165.3 pass yards per game thus far. Collins will look to become the first player this season to post 80 receiving yards in a game against Buffalo.
