Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was participating in the start of the team’s offseason conditioning program this week, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Dell was a third-round pick in 2023 who has been an electric slot receiver when healthy. He has appeared in just 25 games in his first three years due to a fractured fibula as a rookie and a brutal knee injury in 2024 that sidelined him for all of last season.
Now 16 months removed from that injury, which included a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments, Dell seems to be trending towards a return this season. His presence at the beginning of offseason workouts is a positive sign for his readiness for Houston’s OTAs, which start on May 27.
The Texans primarily used Christian Kirk and Jaylin Noel out of the slot last year, but even combined, the veteran and rookie duo could not match Dell’s production across his first two seasons. The team let Kirk leave in free agency, perhaps signaling their optimism about Dell’s availability this year. They could also be counting on Noel and fellow 2025 Day 2 pick Jayden Higgins to step into bigger roles during their sophomore campaigns.
Houston’s wide receiver room, which is led by Nico Collins and also features Xavier Hutchinson, offers enough depth that Dell will not be pressed into a full-time role upon his return. He can ramp up as appropriate for a player returning from such a significant injury. It will be especially important to see if his short area movement skills – a core part of his game – have been impacted.