It's the time of year where every player looks great at OTAs and there's a lot of happy talk, so a lot of stories need to be taken with a grain of salt. But the Texans have a talented quarterback and not much proven, healthy targets behind DeAndre Hopkins, so when a youngster gets talked up, it's worth filing away for the future.
Deshaun Watson was saying nice things about youngster Keke Coutee yesterday. Playing with confidence, playing faster. The team's fourth-round pick out of Texas Tech last season, Coutee appeared in only six games during the regular season -- and in two of those, he got hurt, proceeding to miss a bunch of games. In the other four, he caught 25 passes for 270 yards. Put that per-game production up against every other receiver that started at least four games last season, and that's top-25 production.
| WIDE RECEIVER YARDS PER GAME, 2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yds | No/G | Yds/G |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 16 | 113 | 1677 | 7.1 | 104.8 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 16 | 115 | 1572 | 7.2 | 98.3 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 16 | 86 | 1524 | 5.4 | 95.3 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 16 | 87 | 1479 | 5.4 | 92.4 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 15 | 111 | 1386 | 7.4 | 92.4 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 14 | 76 | 1270 | 5.4 | 90.7 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 16 | 111 | 1426 | 6.9 | 89.1 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 16 | 125 | 1405 | 7.8 | 87.8 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 12 | 77 | 1052 | 6.4 | 87.7 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 15 | 104 | 1297 | 6.9 | 86.5 |
| Adam Thielen, Min. | 16 | 113 | 1373 | 7.1 | 85.8 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 9 | 46 | 694 | 5.1 | 77.1 |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 16 | 86 | 1219 | 5.4 | 76.2 |
| Brandin Cooks, LAR | 16 | 80 | 1204 | 5.0 | 75.3 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 16 | 97 | 1196 | 6.1 | 74.8 |
| Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 14 | 76 | 1028 | 5.4 | 73.4 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 12 | 71 | 868 | 5.9 | 72.3 |
| Will Fuller, Hou. | 7 | 32 | 503 | 4.6 | 71.9 |
| Josh Gordon, N.E. | 9 | 36 | 638 | 4.0 | 70.9 |
| Kenny Golladay, Det. | 15 | 70 | 1063 | 4.7 | 70.9 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 12 | 74 | 850 | 6.2 | 70.8 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 8 | 40 | 566 | 5.0 | 70.8 |
| Stefon Diggs, Min. | 15 | 102 | 1021 | 6.8 | 68.1 |
| Robert Foster, Buff. | 6 | 22 | 406 | 3.7 | 67.7 |
| Keke Coutee, Hou. | 4 | 25 | 270 | 6.3 | 67.5 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dal. | 15 | 75 | 1005 | 5.0 | 67.0 |
| Dante Pettis, S.F. | 7 | 23 | 455 | 3.3 | 65.0 |
| Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 13 | 65 | 843 | 5.0 | 64.8 |
| DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 12 | 41 | 774 | 3.4 | 64.5 |
| Jarvis Landry, Cle. | 16 | 81 | 976 | 5.1 | 61.0 |
| Geronimo Allison, G.B. | 5 | 20 | 303 | 4.0 | 60.6 |
| DJ Moore, Car. | 10 | 42 | 597 | 4.2 | 59.7 |
| Allen Robinson, Chi. | 13 | 55 | 754 | 4.2 | 58.0 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 9 | 35 | 508 | 3.9 | 56.4 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 16 | 66 | 872 | 4.1 | 54.5 |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 14 | 50 | 752 | 3.6 | 53.7 |
| Golden Tate, Det.-Phi. | 15 | 74 | 795 | 4.9 | 53.0 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 15 | 56 | 792 | 3.7 | 52.8 |
| Sammy Watkins, K.C. | 10 | 40 | 519 | 4.0 | 51.9 |
| Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 16 | 64 | 821 | 4.0 | 51.3 |
| Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 15 | 63 | 739 | 4.2 | 49.3 |
| Christian Kirk, Ariz. | 12 | 43 | 590 | 3.6 | 49.2 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 13 | 50 | 618 | 3.8 | 47.5 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 16 | 69 | 734 | 4.3 | 45.9 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den.-Hou. | 15 | 59 | 677 | 3.9 | 45.1 |
| Jamison Crowder, Was. | 9 | 29 | 388 | 3.2 | 43.1 |
| Ted Ginn, N.O. | 5 | 17 | 209 | 3.4 | 41.8 |
| Tyrell Williams, LAC | 16 | 41 | 653 | 2.6 | 40.8 |
| Michael Crabtree, Balt. | 16 | 54 | 607 | 3.4 | 37.9 |
| Keelan Cole, Jac. | 13 | 36 | 473 | 2.8 | 36.4 |
| Pierre Garcon, S.F. | 8 | 24 | 286 | 3.0 | 35.8 |
| Martavis Bryant, Oak. | 8 | 19 | 266 | 2.4 | 33.3 |
| DeVante Parker, Mia. | 10 | 24 | 309 | 2.4 | 30.9 |
| Allen Hurns, Dall. | 7 | 13 | 158 | 1.9 | 22.6 |
Coutee then went out and was ultra-productive in Houston's playoff loss to Indianapolis. He caught 11 passes for 110 yards and a score. Not surprising Watson would be talking him up now.
Houston also has Will Fuller, of course, plus some other youngsters and a bunch of tight ends bouncing around. But Coutee looks good for that slot receiver job. If he can avoid the hamstring troubles that plagued him last season, some nice sleeper appeal in 2019.
--Andy Richardson