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    • How a torn ACL affects Texans and WR options
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    How a torn ACL affects Texans and WR options

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    The Houston Texans lost one of their best offensive players to a season-ending knee injury.

    Stefon Diggs suffered a torn ACL against the Indianapolis Colts when his knee appeared to give out on a non-contact play. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans announced the news on October 29, confirming that Diggs would miss the remainder of the season due to the illness.

    Now Houston must scramble to replace Diggs. They are already temporarily without their No. 1 receiver, Nico Collins, so the team will be thin at wideouts as the 2024 NFL trade deadline approaches.

    Here's what you should know about Houston's WR depth chart and what options they might consider to replace Diggs.

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    Texans WR depth chart

    The Texans have five healthy receivers on their 53-man roster after Diggs suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Here's a look at this group's pecking order:

    1. Tank Dell
    2. Xavier Hutchinson
    3. Robert Woods
    4. John Metchie III
    5. Steven Sims

    Dell is considered Houston's No. 1 receiver while Diggs and Collins are out. The second-year pro was a second-round draft pick in 2023 and has 71 catches for 938 yards and nine touchdowns in 18 career games. The 5-10, 165-pound receiver is a speedster and should help CJ Stroud stretch defenses vertically.

    Along with Dell, Hutchinson and Woods have taken the most snaps, with the latter having more NFL experience to date. These two expect to take on a heavier workload until Collins returns. Once that happens, they will split time as the team's No. 3 receiver.

    Metchie caught a season-high three passes for 29 yards in Week 8 against the Colts, allowing him to also work into the rotation as he develops chemistry with Stroud. Sims is almost exclusively a special teams returner, having played just three offensive snaps this season.

    Houston also has Johnny Johnson III, Jared Wayne and Xavier Johnson on the practice squad. Anyone could be called up to add depth to the team, especially if DeMeco Ryans and Bobby Slowik plan to limit Sims' role to special teams.

    Texans WR trade options

    Could the Texans trade for another receiver before the deadline? It's possible, although unlikely, as Ryans said during a press conference announcing Diggs' injury.

    “We like the people we have,” he told reporters. “We’re excited to see who’s next.”

    Still, Houston could change its tune if it struggles to move the ball against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, the Texans' final game before the trade deadline. If so, there are a few cost-effective options you might consider:

    • Mike Williams, New York Jets: The Jets relegated Williams to No. 4 on their wide receiver depth chart after trading for Davante Adams. Williams has great size at 6-4 and 218 pounds and was a long-time premier No. 2 receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans could see him finding success opposite another big receiver like Collins, so it makes sense to sign the 30-year-old as their No. 3 receiver.
    • Darius Slayton, New York Giants: The Giants are out of contention at 2-6 and could start selling off pieces that don't fit their long-term plan. Slayton has generated at least 724 yards in four of his five full NFL seasons to date and has the speed needed to thrive as a field stretcher. He has played with Daniel Jones for most of his career, so he could make a breakthrough alongside Stroud.
    • KJ Osborn, New England Patriots: Osborn averaged 53 catches, 615 yards and five touchdowns per year in his final three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He has nothing to do with the Patriots yet, so a change of scenery could prove beneficial. This would be a good buy-low move for the Texans.

    While those options could be attractive to the Texans, they will likely feel more comfortable waiting for Collins to return and using him and Dell as the team's top two receivers.

    But given the delicate nature of hamstring injuries like the one Collins is dealing with, one should never say never.

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    Kathleen William
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