The Houston Texans got the best version of wide receiver Nico Collins in 2023. The third-year wideout delivered his best season in the NFL with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.
Collins finished with elite production, and the tape backed up his play, too. Pro Football Focus not only named the wideout as the Texans’ most improved player of this past season but PFF also ranked Collins as the third-highest graded wide receiver in the league in 2023 with a 91.4 grade. He finished just behind Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk and just ahead of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Justin Jefferson.
He finished second in average yards per route run with 3.11, according to PFF, and dropped just four of his 130 catchable passes. Collins also led the NFL with 16 broken tackles this year.
Collins gets the bulk of the credit for his play, but it helps that he played with the best quarterback of his career so far in C.J. Stroud and with an innovative play-caller in offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. It should also not be a surprise that the top three receivers on PFFs’ list all play in a Shanahan-style offense.
All of Collins’ success this past season could culminate in a long-term extension. He is reportedly interested in signing a new deal to stay in Houston for the foreseeable future to play with Stroud and fellow wideout Tank Dell, who finished 15th on the list with a 83.4 grade,
