As we've outlined in this space, in so many different ways, the Houston Texans should be an improved football team in 2023. Hell, it's hard to be worse than a team that came within a Hail Mary in Week 18 from having the first overall pick in the draft. It'd be a borderline statistical miracle for them to be WORSE in 2023 than they were in 2022.

That said, I expect the improvement to be noticeable, not just something were we look up at the end of the year and they're, say, the fourth worst team instead of the second worst team. There is one position, though, where there is a consensus that they have NOT improved, or maybe even gone backward, and that's wide receiver.

Their former top wideout, Brandin Cooks, was able to bellyache his way into a trade this offseason, so the team is without a proven top pass catcher. A lot of hope rests on the additions of John Metchihe and Tank Dell, but neither is viewed as a future number one guy.

So the question is this: could the Texans improve enough in 2023 to where they feel the need to "go for it" and trade for a top wideout, as so many ascending teams have done in the last couple years. Tyreek Hill to Miami and Davante Adams to the Raiders come to mind. If so, who would the viable trade targets be? I think this graphic from Pro Football Focus lays out a potential prospect list pretty well:

The Top-10 WRs under 25, per @TampaBayTre pic.twitter.com/QX5x8FhdKO

— PFF (@PFF) May 18, 2023

Let's get this out of the way — I don't think any of the top three on this list ever see the trade block, or even the rumors section of the dark corners of Twitter. Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Ceedee Lamb will be part of the Vikings, Bengals, and Cowboys, respectively, for a long time. After that, though, the list gets interesting! I think the next four names on the list could all be on Nick Caserio's 2024 inquiry list. Let's look at each one:

JAYLEN WADDLE, Miami (drafted 2021)
Waddle enters Year 3 having had two fascinatingly divergent, yet productive, seasons to start his career. In Brian Flores' final season as head coach, Waddle's rookie season, he was a glorified possession receiver, averaging under 10 yards per catch, a stark contrast from the downfield threat the Dolphins saw on film at Alabama. Credit new head coach Mike McDaniel, and the acquisition of Tyreek Hill, for unlocking the nuclear Waddle. He led all of football with an 18.1 yards per catch average in 2022. Waddle is from Houston, a proud Episcopal High grad, and we will see if the Dolphins are able to pay Waddle, Hill, and eventually Tua Tagovailoa. He would be an ideal fit for the Texans, who plan to run the same offense McDaniel runs in Miami. Oh, also, Waddle went to Alabama, which we've seen matters greatly in Nick Caserio's player evaluations.

TEE HIGGINS, Cincinnati (drafted 2020)
Higgins is in his contract year, having averaged just over 1,000 yards per season in each of his three years, the last two as the Robin to Chase's Batman. Higgins has a huge frame, and is more of a big body receiver than a burner. In a perfect world, I think Higgins is what the Texans are hoping Nico Collins could become. Again, like the Dolphins' upcoming capo issues, the Bengals will have to figure out how to pay Higgins, Chase, and QB Joe Burrow eventually. If the Bengals don't franchise tag Higgins, he might hit free agency, and signing him without having to trade draft capital would be fantastic.

DeVONTA SMITH, Philadelphia (drafted 2021)
Like Waddle, Smith is an Alabama product, having won the Heisman Trophy in the COVID season in 2020, when he lit college football on fire amidst a sea of touchdowns. In Philadelphia, he's evolved into a nice threat opposite A.J. Brown. In 2022, Smith caught 95 passes for nearly 1,200 yards. Again, like the previous two wide receivers on this list, Smith's employer will have to figure out how to pay a QB (Jalen Hurts), a top wide out (Brown), and Smith. Smith's slight frame (170 pounds) makes me nervous about reading draft capital and then paying him a market level contract.

AMON-RA ST. BROWN, Detroit (drafted 2021)
Having been selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, St. Brown has achieved well beyond expectations in his two seasons in Detroit, averaging nearly 100 catches and over 1,000 yards over his two seasons in the league. 2023 will be an interesting season for St. Brown and the Lions in general, as expectations are amped up across the board. Seeing St. Brown paired with another former Alabama WR, Jameson Williams, for a full season was on the list of the more intriguing things in 2023, but Williams was suspended for the first six games for gambling on college football.

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