A “Tank” was moving fast inside Gillette Stadium on Thursday night. And in the process, Nathaniel “Tank” Dell became the star Houston Texans rookie on a night the No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud and No. 3 selection Will Anderson Jr. made their NFL debuts.
Nathaniel ‘Tank’ Dell Wins Over NFL Social Media With Flair for Explosion
Dell ended up becoming the most talked-about rookie during Thursday evening’s preseason tilt between the Texans and New England Patriots.
Why? Five catches, 65 yards, an average of 13 yards per catch and a touchdown all before halftime — leading Bleacher Report to say how the rookie is “Showing OUT.”
Tank Dell at halftime:
– 5 REC
– 65 Yards
– 1 TDThe rookie WR is showing OUT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ejuXsHkdeP
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 11, 2023
Dell operated mostly out of the slot wide receiver spot. But the speed and explosion became instant — and problematic for Bill Belichick and the defenders he and the Pats were evaluating on this evening.
Tank Dell has been a problem tonight and the Patriots are lucky this is the first time Mills has connected with him pic.twitter.com/0GNeBpScbi
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 11, 2023
Dell proved he’s more than speed. He’s a secret body contortionist inside the red zone, as seen here on his lone touchdown of the evening.
Welcome to the #NFL Tank Dell❗️
Check out the #Texans rookie wideout’s concentration on this second-chance TD grab!pic.twitter.com/ZMX3MieAJ7
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 11, 2023
There was even another angle of the focus and body readjustment that gave the Texans six points.
The angle of the Tank Dell TD 👀
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/4enuadXHk7
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 11, 2023
Dell instantly became a fan favorite for a Texans team transitioning to franchise legend DeMeco Ryans as head coach. As noted by John Crumpler of USA Today’s Texans Wire, Dell not only delivered one of the best preseason rookie performances, but let it be known he’s predicting Dell will crack the two-deep…and he won’t be second on the depth chart either.
“Tank Dell giving Houston fans a performance reminiscent of Dameon Pierce’s first pre-season game last year. That guy is more than good enough to be an NFL starter. Shut it down,” Crumpler said via X.
Tank Dell giving Houston fans a performance reminiscent of Dameon Pierce’s first pre-season game last year.
That guy is more than good enough to be an NFL starter. Shut it down.#WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/YiVefEDQrp
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) August 11, 2023
Could Dell Emerge as WR1? NFL Debut Is a Strong Start
Before his league debut, Dell established himself as one of college football’s most prolific weapons, notching 199 combined receptions in his final two collegiate seasons. He also racked up 2,727 yards and scored 29 touchdowns.
And he posted those numbers while being 13 minutes driving distance from the Texans’ Reliant Stadium.
Dell, despite his diminutive 5’8″, 163-pound pre-draft frame, still shredded defenses in the American Athletic Conference through his burst up the field and out of his route stems. And even before his acrobatic catch, Dell delivered a past reputation of extending beyond his frame to secure catches.
And lastly, Dell became a YAC (yards after catch) king who ignited the Cougars’ offense.
Thoughts of size being a dilemma was placed inside a garbage disposal the moment Dell got his hands on the ball. He ended his regular season with eight straight games of snatching eight to 10 receptions (including four 100-yard outings). He also produced five games of scoring two touchdowns.
Now, with a rookie quarterback being groomed for future QB1 duties, the Texans still need a wideout to bolster the chances of creating dynamics in “H-Town.”
While Houston added veteran and Super Bowl winner Robert Woods, his production declined last season with the Tennessee Titans and never established as a No. 1 option with the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, the franchise drafted John Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Metchie, though, never played a down.
But, the Texans still lost leading wideouts Brandin Cooks and Chris Moore via the offseason. So the need for someone else to become WR1 has come into play in the era of Ryans/Stroud.
Well, “Tank” just mobilized himself as the first leader in that role — by becoming the talk of the Texans’ rookie class in his NFL debut.