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The Houston Texans have lost one of their top offensive players to a season-ending knee injury.
Stefon Diggs tore his ACL against the Indianapolis Colts when his knee appeared to buckle on a non-contact play. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans announced the news on Oct. 29 and confirmed Diggs would be out the rest of the season because of the malady.
Now, Houston will have to scramble to replace Diggs. They are already temporarily without their No. 1 receiver, Nico Collins, so the team will be thin at wideout as the 2024 NFL trade deadline draws nearer.
Here’s what to know about Houston’s WR depth chart and what options they could consider to replace Diggs.
Texans WR depth chart
The Texans have five healthy receivers on their 53-man roster after Diggs’ season-ending ACL injury. Here is a look at the pecking order among that group:
Dell figures to be Houston’s No. 1 receiver as long as Diggs and Collins are out. The second-year pro was a second-round draft pick in 2023 and has 71 catches for 938 yards and nine touchdowns in 18 career games. The 5-10, 165-pound receiver is a speedster and should help stretch defenses vertically for C.J. Stroud.
Beyond Dell, the Hutchinson and Woods have gotten the most snaps, with the latter having more NFL experience to date. Those two figure to shoulder a larger workload until Collins returns; once that happens, they will split time as the team’s No. 3 receiver.
Metchie caught a season-high three passes for 29 yards in Week 8 against the Colts, so he could also work into the rotation as he develops chemistry with Stroud. Sims is almost exclusively a return man on special teams, as he has played just three offensive snaps this season.
Houston also has Johnny Johnson III, Jared Wayne and Xavier Johnson on the practice squad. Any could be called up to provide depth for the team, especially if DeMeco Ryans and Bobby Slowik plan to keep Sims’ role limited to special teams.
Texans WR trade options
Could the Texans trade for another receiver ahead of the deadline? It’s possible, albeit unlikely, as Ryans communicated during a news conference announcing Diggs’ injury.
“We like the guys we have,” he told reporters. “We’re excited to see who steps up next.”
Still, Houston could change its tune if it struggles to move the ball against the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football,” the Texans’ final game before the trade deadline. If so, there are a couple low-cost options they could consider:
- Mike Williams, New York Jets: The Jets relegated Williams to the No. 4 spot on their wide receiver depth chart after trading for Davante Adams. Williams has great size at 6-4, 218 pounds, and was long a quality No. 2 receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans could envision him thriving across from another big receiver like Collins, so getting the 30-year-old as a No. 3 receiver make sense.
- Darius Slayton, New York Giants: The Giants are out of contention at 2-6 and could begin selling off pieces who don’t fit their long-term plan. Slayton has generated at least 724 yards in four of his five full NFL seasons to date and has the speed needed to thrive as a field stretcher. He has largely played with Daniel Jones during his career, so he could break out if paired with Stroud.
- K.J. Osborn, New England Patriots: Osborn averaged 53 catches, 615 yards and five touchdowns per year over his last three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He hasn’t yet meshed with the Patriots, so a change of scenery could prove beneficial. This would be a good buy-low move for the Texans.
While these options could appeal to the Texans, they will likely be more comfortable awaiting Collins’ return and rolling with him and Dell as the team’s top two receivers.
But given the finnicky nature of hamstring injuries like the one with which Collins is dealing, never say never.