Texans star C.J. Stroud calls team's improved skill-position group a 'five-headed monster'

The NFL's most pleasantly surprising offensive unit during the 2023 season was that of the Houston Texans . Led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud , Houston went from ranking 31st in yards and 30th in points in 2022, to 12th and 13th, respectively, last season. And that was with Stroud missing a couple games due to injury, and with Tank Dell being sidelined for the final six-plus games with his fractured leg.

Instead of resting on their laurels and betting on internal improvement from Stroud, Dell, Nico Collins , and more, the Texans got aggressive this offseason, bringing in both Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon via trade while retaining Dalton Schultz in free agency. Now, Stroud says, the skill-position group he has to work with is even better.

"It's a five-headed monster," Stroud said Thursday. "It's definitely super dope to have just a bunch of options."

The wide receiver trio, specifically, is now widely considered one of the best in the NFL, if not the best. Diggs has made four straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams, and has recorded six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with give of those also including at least 100 catches. Collins had a true No. 1-receiver breakout last season with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and 8 scores. And Dell caught 47 balls for 709 yards and 7 scores of his own in just 11 games, and had at least 5 grabs for at least 50 yards and a touchdown in each of his final four healthy games of the year.

"It's fun," Stroud said later of the opportunity to throw to those three players. "A lot of hungry guys and guys who have played some great ball in their careers and just ready to win and ready to eat. So, it's very exciting. We're just trying to build that chemistry and timing right now and it's going pretty good so far."

Hopes and expectations are extremely high for this offense headed into the 2024 campaign. How Stroud is able to distribute the ball among those three, along with the tight ends and running backs, will be of great interesting throughout the year; and if the Texans raise their passing volume from where it was a year ago, there is potential for even more explosiveness than we saw during his rookie season.