The impact of Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell

The Houston Texans beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in their first of three preseason games. There was a lot to like, along with a lot to work on, which is not a surprise.

On the offensive side of the ball, there was no one that made a bigger impact than rookie third-round wide receiver Tank Dell. Dell finished the game with five catches, 65 yards and an acrobatic touchdown catch.

While Dell only played in the first half of the game, he was able to make a significant impact and his presence was felt immediately. Whenever Dell caught a pass, it felt like he was wide open every time, and for the most part that was true.

Dell is an elite separator, and really has a feel for where he needs to be in order for the play to work. Dell had 65 total yards in the first half, but he could have been closer to 100 yards if some of the passes directed at him were more accurate.

Quarterback Davis Mills and Dell have developed chemistry throughout camp and that showed on the field. Dell is an extremely explosive playmaker, and he is a nightmare to cover in space.

One play that really showed what the talented rookie can do was when Mills made a simple pass to Dell that most most players in the league would get about 10 yards on, Dell turned on the Jets and ran right past multiple defenders and turned that play into 24 yards.

Many players struggle early, but it is good to see Dell looking good right away, because the Texans offense is in desperate need of playmakers. Texans rookie quarterback C.J Stroud, who had a bit of a rough night, will be throwing passes to Dell in 2023, and that should make life much easier for the rookie quarterback.

It is hard to say what kind of impact Dell can make during the regular season, but if he can stay on the field, and continue to make high impact plays like he did against the Patriots, the sky is truly the limit for the rookie out of Houston.