Collins is increasingly discussed with the "when healthy" qualifier -- partially a result of missing multiple games every season so far, and partially a reflection of there not being anything else to criticize. A 2021 third-round pick with 4.43 speed in a 6-4, 215-pound frame, Collins broke out alongside QB C.J. Stroud in 2023 with an 80-1,297-8 receiving line in 15 regular-season games. While the rest of Houston's offense took a step back in 2024, the only hiccup for Collins' production was availability. He finished the regular season at 68-1,006-7 on 99 targets, despite missing five games with a hamstring injury and playing fewer than half of Houston's snaps in three others. Looking at his past two seasons, the cumulative production was impressive, the per-game numbers even better, and then the per-route/snap metrics yet another level above. Collins is one of three players in the past decade with multiple seasons of 3.0 yards per route or better, joined by Tyreek Hill and Julio Jones. Among Collins' current peers, only Hill and Ja'Marr Chase are comparable in terms of both YAC skills and deep-ball prowess. The Texans hired a new offensive coordinator (Nick Caley) this offseason before adding WRs Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins (Round 2) and Jaylin Noel (Round 3), giving the offense a new look after WRs Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell both suffered ACL tears last season. The real challenge for Collins is to avoid, or at least minimize, the soft-tissue injuries that cost him seven full games and parts of five others over the past two seasons.
