The Houston Texans added a lot of new names to the wide receiver room in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Houston signed veteran wide receivers Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios last month in free agency.
Watson, the former Kansas City Chiefs wideout, inked a two-year, $5 million deal. Meanwhile, Berrios, the former Miami Dolphins receiver, signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Then in the draft, the Texans doubled-dipped at wide receiver, taking Jayden Higgins in the second round and Jaylin Noel in the third.
Nico Collins, Higgins, Noel, Christian Kirk, and a healthy Tank Dell (likely to miss the entire 2025 season after a devastating leg injury) are a formidable wide receiver group on paper.
Braxton Berrios Could Be Odd Man Out in Texans' WR Room
That probably only leaves two spots for John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Watson, and Berrios. Among those four wideouts, Berrios could be the odd man out. The 29-year-old wide receiver was signed to a cheap one-year deal compared to Watson.
At the same time, Berrios could easily make the roster due to his skills as a return specialist on special teams. Last season with the Dolphins, the veteran receiver averaged 14.7 yards per punt return (seven attempts) and 25.3 yards per kick return (three attempts).
That said, Berrios only played in six games as he was placed on injured reserve in October for a torn ACL. Therefore, the veteran return specialist enters OTAs looking to show that he’s healthy after sustaining a torn ACL.
We also haven’t heard anything from the Texans about Berrios’ recovery, but signing the veteran to a one-year deal likely shows he'll be ready to go. When healthy, Berrios can be a game-changer on special teams as he showed in 2021 with the New York Jets, where he was named first-team All-Pro.
He can also be utilized sometimes in the passing game. Berrios didn’t have a reception last year with the Dolphins. However, in his first year in Miami (2023), he had 27 receptions (33 targets) for 238 yards and a touchdown.
With the Texans set to have Collins, Kirk, Higgins, and Noel at wide receiver, Berrios would be low on the totem pole for offensive snaps. Nonetheless, it puts more pressure on the veteran to play well on special teams to earn his spot.
As things stand, Berrios should have the inside track to win the starting kick and punt returner jobs, but you never know who will emerge during OTAs and training camp to compete with the vet. Noel, the third-round pick, has some experience returning punts in college, which could factor into head coach DeMeco Ryans' decision on who to keep.