Will Fuller

Ever since Deshaun Watson took over at quarterback, all Fuller has done is produce - that is, on the rare occasion both players have been healthy. After missing six games in 2017, Fuller tore his ACL last October and missed the final nine games of the year. He's expected back in some capacity during training camp and appears on track to suit up for Week 1. Last year, Fuller averaged a monstrous 11.2 YPT and 15.7 YPC. He scored four TDs in less than half a season and was on pace for 100 targets. At 6-0, 184, Fuller's not much of a red-zone threat, but he ran a blazing 4.32 40 and should reprise his role as the team's primary field stretcher. Keke Coutee emerged as another viable target last year, but Coutee's average depth of target (5.1 yards) puts him nowhere near Fuller (14.2 yards) on the field, so the two are more likely to complement one another than compete. Coutee's presence in the slot could push Fuller outside more, and DeAndre Hopkins is still likely to be a target hog, but the Texans have no pass-catching tight ends of note, and they rarely throw to their backs. In short, the vast majority of Watson's attempts should be directed at his three wideouts, providing plenty to go around. Fuller just needs to stay healthy.

What a bizarre season. Fuller missed the first three games of 2017 with a broken collarbone, but when he returned he became the league's most unlikely touchdown machine with seven in his first four games from rookie QB Deshaun Watson. Then Watson tore his ACL after Week 8, and Fuller didn't score again. At 6-0, 180, and with blazing 4.32 speed, Fuller is in the DeSean Jackson mold - small, slight, injury-prone and dangerous down the field. Fuller missed three more games later in the year with a rib injury and left Week 17's contest with a knee injury on which he needed a minor procedure in January, something that's not expected to affect his offseason preparation. For 2018, Fuller gets a presumably healthy Watson back, but Fuller is playing opposite target hog DeAndre Hopkins, effectively capping his ceiling. With or without Hopkins, however, Fuller's not built to carry a heavy target load, and seven TDs on his first 22 Watson targets was almost certainly a fluke. Expect some big plays, in part due to Watson's ability to buy time and willingness to take chances down the field, but Hopkins should be doing the heavy lifting.

Last year's 21st overall pick, Fuller stormed out of the gate with two straight 100-yard games, but from Weeks 5-17, he eclipsed 50 yards only twice. Brock Osweiler's QB play didn't help, but Fuller didn't help Osweiler, either, with drops on wide-open deep balls, including in the playoff loss to the Patriots. At 6-0, 180, Fuller is slight, but he ran a blistering 4.32 40 at the Combine and has no problem getting behind defenses when he's able to run free. Fuller struggled getting off the line of scrimmage against press coverage, however, and needs to improve his conditioning. Osweiler, mercifully, is gone, but rookie Deshaun Watson (or worse, Tom Savage) isn't likely to be a huge upgrade right away. Fuller would've been locked in as a Week 1 starter despite last year's struggles, but he broke his collarbone during training camp and is expected to miss at least the first month of the season, with the initial timeline hinting at a return in October. Given the quarterback situation, it's tough to make an argument for stashing him.

The 21st overall pick this year, Fuller has a chance to produce for the Texans right away - he merely has to supplant the injury-prone Cecil Shorts. At 6-0, 184, Fuller isn't big, but he showed blazing speed (4.32 40) and good explosiveness (126-inch broad jump) at the Combine, qualities that were evident his last two years in college when he scored 29 touchdowns and caught 138 passes. Even if Fuller is able to wrestle the No. 2 role away from Shorts, he'll be playing opposite one of the league's premier target hogs in DeAndre Hopkins. Moreover, the Brock Osweiler-led Texans aren't likely to be among the league leaders in passing attempts, so Fuller's upside is modest in Year 1.