Wide Receivers the Texans Can Draft to Replace DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, but with looming contract demands and the Texans' lack of draft capital, Houston traded him away to the Arizona Cardinals in a deal that is being heralded as the worst trade of the offseason.

The Texans got former star running back David Johnson and a second-round pick in return for Hopkins, which leaves Houston with a hole at wide receiver. While the team signed Randall Cobb, he's entering his age-30 season and likely isn't a viable long-term replacement. Here are three wide receivers Houston can target in the 2020 NFL Draft to replace Hopkins.

1. Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

Laviska Shenault Jr. is a versatile receiver that could be a great fit alongside Deshaun Watson. With almost 2,000 receiving yards and 280 rushing yards in three years at Colorado, Shenault can be used in a number of ways. There's a strong chance he's off the board by the time the Texans are on the clock, but if he's there at No. 40, he could turn into a great fit.

2. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State

Brandon Aiyuk really made a name for himself at Arizona State last season, hauling in 1,192 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He's got solid size with a 6-foot frame and he could be a nice complement on the outside opposite Will Fuller. He can also double as a punt and kickoff returner, which he did at points in college, averaging 16.1 yards per punt return in 2019.

3. Jalen Reagor, TCU

Jalen Reagor has been going up and down NFL Draft boards since the college football season ended, but the TCU product's numbers are hard to ignore. In his best season (2018) Reagor had 1,061 yards and 9 touchdowns, and he even added 170 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground as well. His size isn't great (5'10") but the Texans could choose to play him on the outside or in the slot, which could be attractive to them with one of their second-round picks.

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.