Texans' Nico Collins lands in top 10 WRs by NFL coaches and executives
That didn't stop executives and general managers from placing Collins among the top 10 playmaking pass-catchers entering 2025. ESPN polled talent evaluators from around the league on the top 10 wide receivers, having Collins take the spot at No. 8. Even with another setback because of injury, his potential outweighs the lack of reps.
"The rare ability to be a legitimate No. 1," an NFL personnel director said. "Good balance, skill set, size, speed, agility for his size, very good hands, competes."
Even after missing five games, Collins finished with 68 receptions, 1,006 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He was on pace to total more than 1,400 yards, which would have finished third in the NFL.
Since his hot start in 2023, Collins has been better than expected. Like Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin, the former third-round pick has blossomed into a legit No. 1 force in the passing attack and a security blanket for C.J. Stroud. His average of 85.3 receiving yards per game over the past two seasons has also been among the top five rankings in the NFL.
"He was once a jump ball guy, but once he started taking quick throws for big gains with his size and athleticism, that changed his game," an NFL offensive coach said.
The Texans return for the start of training camp next Wednesday at 9 a.m.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' Nico Collins lands in top 10 WRs by NFL coaches and executives
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gyokeres' agent blasts Sporting CP for lack of respect
Viktor Gyokeres' agent has admitted he'll never understand Sporting CP's stance on the player's summer transfer to Arsenal, insisting the gentlemen's agreement to leave was genuine. Photo via Jonathan Chalkias was one of Viktor Gyokeres' representatives working on the player's summer transfer from Sporting CP to Arsenal, a more difficult process than anyone initially expected. Throughout the 2024/25 campaign, multiple news outlets had talked about Gyokeres' gentlemen's agreement with Sporting CP. If he stayed and played for them for one more season, he'd be allowed to leave for €60m plus €10m in add-ons. Sporting made no attempt to play down the reports until after the season was over, at which point they publicly denied the existence of such an agreement. Photo via Part of the problem was seemingly that Gyokeres' camp made the agreement with Hugo Viana, who subsequently departed to join Manchester City. But when asked about the existence of the agreement this week, Chalkias was clear that it was genuine. 'Yes, there has been (an agreement),' Chalkias told WTV. 'If Hugo Viana had remained at Sporting, this deal would have been done in an hour. '[The agreement] was written down, but you would have had to start a legal process that there was no time for. 'After all he has done for Sporting…that you didn't have more respect for his will and his dreams after these two seasons and three trophies and all the goals. I will never understand that.' Photo via Sporting pushed for more money, hoping to bring in at least €70m plus €10m in add-ons, and wanting most of those add-ons to be effectively guaranteed payments. Arsenal eventually got a deal for €63.5m plus €10m, but only because Gyokeres' key representative Hasan Cetinkaya agreed to give up his cut. With Cetinkaya giving up his portion of the payment, the full €63.5m could go to Sporting, the same amount they would have received if Arsenal had paid €70m and Cetinkaya had taken 10%. So Arsenal got a cheaper deal, Sporting got the money they wanted, and Cetinkaya's client got the move. The agent just didn't get his full commission for it. Photo via Sporting had tried various other tricks during negotiations, including attempting to create a bidding war with other clubs. But Chalkias confirms that Gyokeres never had any interest in joining anyone else. 'He's been locked in from day one, it was only Arsenal for him,' Chalkias added. 'But he also consulted with us, what do you think? And Hasan [Cetinkaya] was clear from day one, and so was I. 'This situation that Arsenal has now, the whole world knows they need a striker. And just look at the football they play… against Real Madrid in the Champions League. And then to get the chance to come here and be that nine. 'How could anyone say no to that?'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Revealed – Why Atalanta Are Reluctant To Accept Low-Ball Inter Milan Offer For Ex RB Leipzig Star
Atalanta are reluctant to accept too low a bid from Inter Milan for Ademola Lookman as they still owe RB Leipzig a sell-on fee. This according to today's print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews. Inter Milan are pushing to wrap up a deal for Atalanta forward for Ademola Lookman. This week, the Nerazzurri reportedly made an offer worth €45 million including add-ons. That is up from their initial bid of €40 million. Meanwhile, the desire of the player himself is also key. Lookman has been pushing for the move to Inter from the start. Atalanta Reluctant To Accept Low-Ball Inter Offer For Lookman Due To Sell-On Fee BERGAMO, ITALY – MAY 12: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta warms up prior to the Serie A match between Atalanta and AS Roma at Gewiss Stadium on May 12, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by) Tuttosport report that Atalanta have never officially given Inter a valuation of €50 million for Lookman. However, that is very much the region that the Bergamo-based club are hoping for. And a big part of the reason for this is the fact that Atalanta owe RB Leipzig a sell-on fee for Lookman. La Dea signed Lookman in 2022. The Nigerian arrived from Leipzig after he'd been on loan with the likes of Fulham and Leicester City in the Premier League. As part of that deal, Atalanta owe Leipzig a portion of any fee they receive for Lookman. Therefore, if the fee is relatively low, the La Dea wouldn't actually profit that much.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jesse McCulloch – now healthy – big key for Michigan State basketball's future
HOLT – Without playing a single game this summer, Jesse McCulloch was one of Michigan State basketball's biggest buzzes of the Moneyball Pro-Am summer league. When play began a little more than a month ago, the redshirt freshman big man arrived in a walking boot. A stress fracture in his right foot required a six-week rehab, limiting him during offseason workouts with the Spartans and keeping him from joining his teammates on the court in the fun-and-gun pro-am, even though he frequently showed up to support them during their two games a week in the Lansing area. As Moneyball winds up its playoffs, though, McCulloch is back healthy and practicing with MSU. RELATED: Couch: Aidan Chiles endured last MSU football season 'over and over' again on film. He's ready for a new chapter. 'I'm feeling great. I'm feeling a lot better than I was before,' the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Cleveland native said Tuesday, July 29, after rejoining the Spartans' workouts a few days earlier. 'I'm just trying to get back in the best shape as possible. Just getting back into the best shape, being as athletic as I was – just getting back to the old me, for real.' McCulloch again sat on the sidelines at Holt High School's gymnasium for the semifinals Tuesday, with the championship and final games of the summer league set for Thursday, July 31. Admission is free. While Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper dominated their competition there, McCulloch watched and eagerly waited to join them on the court when the Spartans' season tips off in November. McCulloch quietly played a big behind-the-scenes role in MSU winning the Big Ten title and advancing to the Elite Eight, which included two NCAA tournament wins in his hometown to get there. Kohler felt there were points early last season when he thought the Spartans might have pulled McCulloch's redshirt when needing more toughness on the block. But he added his young teammate's performance on MSU's scout team helped push himself, Cooper and since-graduated Szymon Zapala to be better. 'He just brings a fire to our team,' Kohler said Tuesday. 'The fact that he's through a little bit of the process as a redshirt, he knows what to expect. He knows in terms of day-to-day practice how tough the daily grind is gonna be. He's putting in the work. And he brings us a unique post-scoring ability and a defensive toughness.' Kohler said one area where McCulloch will need to adjust in transitioning from practice to games is in not getting overly aggressive, which showed with fouls during his two exhibition game appearances before taking the redshirt. But McCulloch has proven to be a sponge receiving information from the veterans. 'Last year really helped me a lot, just learning from Szymon, Coop and Jaxon,' he said. 'Learning from those guys, watching how they played, and I added that to my game. And in the middle of the year, I really felt good about my game. And that just helped me so much last year. I feel like last year just helped my overall game in every aspect. In putting the ball on the floor, facing up, shooting, defense. It just helped me in every aspect of my game.' A three-star prospect in 2024, McCulloch averaged 22.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 2.0 assists per game as a senior for Lutheran East High in Cleveland. 'He's gonna give us that good post presence that we need and physicality that's gonna wear people out,' Cooper said Tuesday. 'He's gonna be a pest on the boards. And offensively and defensively, he's gonna bring that energy we need off the bench to come in and help us win games.' MSU coach Tom Izzo, in announcing McCulloch's redshirt in November, gushed about the potential for his big man and compared him to 'Al Anagonye, except he can shoot 3s' – though Kohler, who began taking more deep shots last season, cautioned that McCulloch will need learn like he did about how and when to take them in game situations and within the flow of MSU's offense. 'I think he has the greenlight, because in practice, he's a very good midrange and 3-point shooter,' Kohler said. 'I think the only reason why I backtrack that is just because he hasn't played in a game quite yet. And shooting in a game is different than shooting in practice. I'd say in the preseason, maybe he tries it out. And if he stays consistent in working on his shot and it looks good in practice, I think he'll have the greenlight, too. 'The farther you can play away from the basket the better in terms of bigs. And I think Jesse has the ability to do that.' After giving Xavier Booker two years worth of chances, MSU lost the former five-star recruit to transfer to UCLA after the season ended. Izzo added size on the perimeter with Kaleb Glenn (now out for the year with a knee injury), and both incoming freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott also are more wing players at 6-7. But after bringing in Zapala last year as a transfer, the Spartans did not add another post player this offseason to offset the Booker departure – another sign Izzo is banking on McCulloch to be in the mix for minutes with Kohler, Cooper and Ward on the block. 'It means a lot to me personally just knowing that he has trust in me. And he has trust in our whole big man crew this year,' McCulloch said. 'We're gonna make him proud.' Contact Chris Solari: csolari@ Follow him @chrissolari. Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Healthy Jesse McCulloch big key for Michigan State basketball's future
