About 6 years ago, I detailed the Five Best Wide Receivers in Houston Texans History. That list included Corey Bradford, Will Fuller V, Kevin Walter, DeAndre Hopkins and, of course, Andre Johnson.
Based on receiving yardage alone, Nico Collins is already the 3rd place WR all-time for the Texans with 4,347 yards heading into the 2026 season. For those doing the math at home, you’ll note that’s about half as many yards as #2 wideout, DeAndre Hopkins, who gained 8,602 while wearing the battle red.
Where
you can make an argument that Collins is better than Nuk is the yards-per-catch. D-Hop had 13.7, while Nico sits at 15.0. Give Collins 632 catches, the number Hopkins had as a Texan, and the current WR1’s total jumps from 4,347 to 9,480 yards – 878 more than D-Hop. Yes, that’s also more than the average NFL receiver gains in an entire season.
For those paying attention this summer, we’ve looked at PFF’s ranking for quarterbacks, including the woefully low standing for C.J. Stroud. We’ve also side-eyed their take on running backs, with David Montgomery bringing up the rear of the pack.
When it comes to Nico Collins, the stat crunching site has a far more positive outlook.
8. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
After two pedestrian seasons to begin his career, Collins has emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers over the past three years. His 3,420 receiving yards during that span rank ninth in the NFL, while his 2.75 yards per route run rank second behind only Puka Nacua. Collins’ 93.0 PFF receiving grade since 2023 ranks third in the NFL behind Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Essentially, once you hit the Demeco Ryans era for the Texans, Collins is a Top 3 receiver in the NFL. And, you get no arguments from me.
When Andre Johnson set about defining the prototype Houston Texans wide receiver, he carved an archetype out of quietly getting the job done in spectacular fashion. In an era where so many pass catchers have made more headlines with their mouths and over-the-top off-field antics, Johnson kept his head down, caught the ball 1,012 times and set the stage for the show-up-but-don’t-show-off character Houston is known for.
Enter Nico Collins, who many might think is a modern day clone of Johnson. He doesn’t draw attention to himself in any manner other than catching passes, gaining yards and scoring touchdowns. All this has quietly led him to 3rd highest PFF grade for receivers since 2023.
Every summer the NFL Channel drops its Top 100 players list. This year, Collins hit the charts at #58. Pretty easy to believe that this rank is a clear sign that Collins flies way, way under the radar.
As mentioned in the Top QB and RB posts, if Houston can get the offensive line working right, and the run game gives Stroud a breather, the passing game should take a big step forward in 2026 – and that happens in large part due to Collins.
Where do you put him, all-time, in Texans lore:
What was your favorite Nico Collins moment? Where do you think he’ll shine the most in the 2026 Houston Texans schedule?
