Andre Johnson knows what it takes to be one of the top receivers in the NFL, and he likes what he’s seeing from Tank Dell.
The 24-year-old wideout has been a revelation for the Texans, forging an impressive connection with C.J. Stroud before a broken fibula suffered in Week 13 ended his season. Dell caught 47 of his 75 targets for 709 yards with three touchdowns in 11 games this season, adding 11 carries for 51 yards.
Dell finished his college career at the University of Houston before the Texans took him in the third round of this year’s draft. He landed on Johnson’s radar during a visit to watch the Cougars scrimmage.
“It’s funny, man, because I got to be around Tank for a little bit and talk to him, and when I’m next to him he reminds me of a little kid,” Johnson said. “Coach (Dana) Holgorsen invited me out to one of the U of H scrimmages, and they were telling me about him. … They were telling me this is a guy you might need to watch, but they didn’t really throw him the ball a lot that day in that scrimmage.”
It wasn’t until Johnson watched the Senior Bowl that he really started to see what Dell was capable of.
“I turned (on) the Senior Bowl, and they’re doing 1-on-1s," Johnson recalled. "I’m looking and I’m like man, who in the hell is that? And when I realized who it was, I was like that’s that little receiver from U of H, and so I continued to watch him.
“The separation, the creativity – the DBs can hardly get their hands on him because of how elusive he is. Just his route running, his creativity, the separation he creates is amazing. He kind of reminds me of Santana Moss, who I played with in college, with his route creativity.
“But as an overall player, he’s amazing. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
The injury is a bitter end to a memorable rookie campaign for Dell. But it was clear this year that he’ll be a key part of the Texans as they continue to grow in 2024 and beyond.