Dell lasted until 69th overall in last year's draft despite topping 1,300 receiving yards both of his final two seasons at Houston. It's now clear teams made a mistake passing on him, though it was understandable at the time given his combine measurements (5-8, 165), 40 time (4.49) and age (turned 24 during his rookie season). Dell quickly silenced those concerns, earning the Texans' No. 3 receiver job out of the gate and combining for 217 yards and two TDs in Weeks 2-3. A Week 5 concussion cost him a game and a half, but the rookie came back strong after a bye to average 5.6 catches for 77.0 yards and 1.0 TD on 9.4 targets in Weeks 8-12. During that time, Dell maintained a steady diet of short, intermediate and deep targets, proving to be much more than just a slot guy or screen/YAC threat. In fact, he was targeted behind the line of scrimmage just once all season and finished 15th among WRs (200-route minimum) with a 14.2 aDOT. Unfortunately, he broke his fibula early in Houston's Week 13 contest and missed the rest of the season. His nine full games yielded seven touchdowns, along with averages of 4.9 catches for 72.4 yards on 7.9 targets. Fellow Texans wideout Nico Collins had even better numbers, though Dell was more productive in the weeks leading up to his season-ending injury. Things look promising in 2024 for the Houston offense, with Dell returning for spring practices and joined by both Collins and offseason trade acquisition Stefon Diggs. The wealth of WR talent creates questions regarding target share, but an offense engineered by coordinator Bobby Slowik and QB C.J. Stroud may have the necessary passing volume and efficiency to keep everyone happy.
