Texans WR Nico Collins 'Most Under Appreciated' Player on Roster?

Using some sophisticated math to compare compensation to performance it turns out Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins is the team's most underappreciated player according to NFL.com.

The Houston Texans haven't been good in some time after failing to win more than four games in a single season since 2019. 

As the Texans get set to embark on a whole new journey to try and rise back to the promise they once held in the AFC it's not too difficult to understand why the football-viewing world isn't all that high on this franchise or its current roster. 

There's one player in Houston not getting enough appreciation these days more than the rest according to NFL.com. 

And that player is third-year receiver, Nico Collins.

"Collins has a chance to really break out this season, based on the clues provided by his past performance," says NFL.com. "NGS shows that he posted three receptions over expected on in-breaking routes last season, ranking 14th among wide receivers...Keep an eye on both Collins and John Metchie III to produce at a higher level as the season goes along, in concert with their new QB."

The league site doesn't take this labeling of the team's most underappreciated player lightly. 

In fact, there's a process and algorithm that goes into measuring it, and according to those equations, Collins is the clear leader in the Texans' locker room. 

"First, I calculate and then rank each player's season-long contribution metric by team (win share)," NFL.com explains. "After making those calculations, I factor in each player's salary by position...to add some context...Then I weight players drafted in Round 2 or later who have been to no more than two Pro Bowls who aren't in the top 10 at their position."

At the end of all this, the contribution metric is still the most important part of the evaluation, and players who are in their first season with a team are generally not allowed to be considered since it's hard to be underappreciated when you've just arrived, NFL.com explains. 

But if the math is correct, and the arrival of quarterback C.J. Stroud coinciding with the return of Metchie helps showcase Collins' talents better, then he'll likely not be the Texans' most underappreciated player this time next year.

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