Tank Dell Set for Breakout Starting Role in Texans’ Pass Attack
The Houston Texans’ WR corps continues to suffer in the 2024 NFL season with the new speculation that 2nd starter Stefon Diggs may miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL after last week’s close escape against the Indianapolis Colts. Of course, this is still speculation, but it could be confirmed later this week, prompting another Texans WR, Tank Dell, to pick up the reigns. Houston currently sits at an impressive 6-2, easily atop the AFC South with their next contest a Halloween night Thursday Night Football clash with the New York Jets next on their schedule.
Tank Dell has been the Texans’ WR2 ever since Nico Collins landed on the IR with a hamstring injury that occurred back in Week 5 against the Bills at home, a game that Houston won thanks to a last-second 59-yard FG by Kai Fairbairn. Collins is due to return in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions, while Dell has carried most of Collins’ load in the meantime, alongside Diggs and RB Joe Mixon, who was instrumental in Houston’s Indy escape this past Sunday.
Most would think not having your top receiver for multiple weeks would surely trash one’s record, but the Texans are not most teams, apparently, doing the opposite in what is usually seen as the NFL’s worst division year after year. Dell’s numbers so far this season are decent, but they are a far cry from what he racked up last season when the Texans knocked off the Colts in Indianapolis for the final AFC wild-card spot in dramatic fashion. The 24-year-old Daytona Beach native was a rookie in 2023, playing in 11 games, starting in 8 of those while recording 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns. Not too bad for a rookie, huh?
2024 has been a slower start for Dell, however. Through 7 games, he’s managed four starts with 24 catches for 229 yards. Considering that Dell was 2nd behind Nico Collins, of course, in team receiving yards last season with that 709 and that now he’s currently way in 3rd behind Diggs and Collins this time, this season has been a bit of an off year for the 2nd year pass catcher. 2 of the seven games he’s played in this season have either zero or negative receiving yards totals, something that never happened even once last season. It’s even stranger when you realize that Dell and Collins are also the same age.
Dell has had his fair share of personal drama affect him ever since joining the league last year. He missed multiple games in 2023 during his rookie season with a broken fibula in a Week 13 contest against the Denver Broncos. He’d also recently returned from a Week 5 concussion sustained in a game against the Falcons. As for the most outlandish injury, Dell was shot in the leg by a stray bullet while at a poolside bar this past April! With all those injury bugs buzzing around his head, does the nickname “Tank” really fit? He was born Nathaniel Jasper Dell, after all.
Despite all his shortcomings, Dell is still a reputable WR2 who has the praise of Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. He’s also fairly good as a flex option in most fantasy football leagues, though most of us would prefer his superstar teammate Nico Collins over the 2nd year ballhawk, such as myself, for example! Ryans has all the faith in Dell, though, saying that he just has to keep going and that he’ll eventually break out and make the big plays when it counts.
The biggest takeaway here is that both Collins’ and maybe now Diggs’ long-term absences mean Dell finally fires it up again like he did for most of last season. Now, if only he could stay off the injury list this time!
