Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell recorded a time of 4.49 seconds in his 40-yard dash at the NFL combine a year ago. He looked quicker than that during his debut season, separating from defenders downfield with ease.
A broken fibula ended his campaign early. Dell has reportedly rigorously attacked his rehabilitation program and “looks 10 times faster” according to his personal coach. That would mean he now runs a 40-yard dash in about half of a second. If that doesn’t scream first-round pick and All-Pro lock, I’m not sure what does.
In all seriousness, Dell’s recovery is encouraging and the hope is that he won’t skip a beat when he returns to the Houston lineup.
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Tank Dell Injury Update
Dell suffered the season-ending injury in Week 13 against Denver. The 24-year-old was run-blocking at the goal line when he got rolled up on.
The Texans are in for the TD, but Tank Dell is down after the play. pic.twitter.com/HijvWgRro0
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 3, 2023
All signs point to Dell being on the field when Houston opens their 2024 campaign. According to the aforementioned personal coach, Dell will be ready to participate in OTAs this spring.
Tank Dell Fantasy Football Outlook
Dell outperformed expectations in his rookie season, totaling 709 receiving yards on 47 catches with seven touchdowns in essentially 10 games (he did not log a stat before his injury against Denver). A position that was viewed as a weakness before the season for C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense was suddenly a strength. Dell and Nico Collins paced for 1,000-yard seasons (with Collins hitting the mark) and allowed Stroud to blossom into Offensive Rookie of the Year.
C.J. STROUD 🎯 TANK DELL
40-YARD TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/xbt06pF0OA
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 19, 2023
Still, given his injury and draft capital, some fans and pundits believed that Houston may add another big name to the wide receiver room. They attempted to acquire Keenan Allen before the Chargers and Bears agreed to their deal. Thus far this offseason, there have not been any significant changes to the depth chart. Noah Brown was brought back to serve as the third option. Tight end Dalton Schultz is also returning in blue and red.
Nothing has changed unless the Texans opt to use one of their two second-round picks on a wideout. If Dell stays healthy, he should log his first 1,000-yard season in 2024. The debate among the fantasy community will be whether Dell or Collins is the more valuable receiver. The former scored more touchdowns than his counterpart, but Collins posted additional yards and receptions. Both are attached to Stroud for the foreseeable future, making them exciting picks in redraft and dynasty formats.
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