After completing back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is earning the respect of his peers.
Mike Evans, the NFL record holder for most 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start a career, has seen a lot of wide receivers in 11 seasons. Therefore, it’s a big deal when he includes Collins among the young receivers he admires.
However, he puts the former Michigan standout in high regard by comparing him to an elite wideout who led the league in receiving yards twice. As Fox Sports’ Greg Auman wrote, Evans named Nico Collins, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Drake London as his favorite young receivers.
When Evans was asked why he loved Collins’ game, the Super Bowl LV champion said, “He’s kind of like a mix of me and Julio Jones. He’s 6-4, 6-5, but he can run up and catch like Julio, and he has muscles like Julio. He has the length like me. I love Nico’s game.”
That’s a lofty comparison because Jones isn’t a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team by accident. In addition to seven Pro Bowl selections, Jones has five All-Pro nods from 2015 to 2019. During that time frame, the Alabama alum surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, including a dominant 2015 showcase in which he led the league in receptions (136) and receiving yards (1,871).
Upon his official retirement last April, Jones ranked 16th in the all-time receiving yards list with 13,703. Most of those yards came with the Atlanta Falcons, the team he represented for 10 seasons.
While Nico Collins must play more football to match Jones’ career credentials, he does have as many 1,000-yard seasons as Jones (2) in their first four seasons.
Nico Collins Doesn’t Let Praise Get Into His Head
FanDuel TV host Kay Adams asked Collins, “Do you feel like you’re treated like the third best wide receiver in the NFL?”
While Nico Collins jokingly replied ‘yes’ to Adams’ question, the 2024 Pro Bowler added, “I kinda feel like my head is down and I’m working. I don’t really pay attention to who’s the best receiver and who’s not the best receiver. I feel like for me, I just want to get better. I just want to make plays for he team and just get my family happy. Seeing them happy and seeing the crowd going, I feel like that’s the only thing that gets me excited about the game of football.”
While Chase and Jefferson are clearly the NFL’s top two receivers, Collins has a solid case of claiming the third spot. In addition to reaching 1,000 yards despite missing five games due to a hamstring injury, he for among the top three highest-graded receivers on the In and Post routes, per Pro Football Focus.
Can Collins Stay Healthy for an Entire Regular Season?
While Nico Collins’ stock is ascending, it’s hard to disregard the fact that he has missed 17 games in four seasons. He hasn’t played more than 15 games and missed seven during his sophomore season with the Texans. In comparison, Evans missed only 12 games in 11 NFL seasons.
Aside from bringing his game to a higher level, keeping Collins healthy must be a priority for the Texans. Luckily for him, Houston brought in help in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to address Tank Dell’s unavailability and to unload some of the offensive pressure off Collins.
As PFF’s Nathan Jahnke wrote on Collins’ Fantasy Football Profile for 2025, “Collins is a very talented wide receiver with a history of top-10 success. There is reason to believe he can improve with more playing time or an improvement from C.J. Stroud. The main concern is his injury history, where he’s missed time each season.”
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