The Houston Texans kept just four wide receivers on their 53-player roster, leading many to believe they would be calling for a wide range of waivers. On Wednesday, Houston only claimed one player as all teams went through the waiver process, and that player was former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tyler Johnson.
While Johnson fell victim to the 53-man roster deadline, he is seen by many as a young wide with potential who has been pushed down a loaded depth roster that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin , Russell Gage and Julio Jones.
The Minnesota product was originally selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Johnson was named to the All-Big Ten first team in his final two college seasons after racking up more than 1,100 receiving yards during both campaigns. He caught 12 touchdowns as a junior and 13 as a senior. In 31 career NFL games with six starts, Johnson caught 48 passes for 529 yards and two touchdowns. His best outing came last year against the New Orleans Saints on Halloween, when he caught five passes for 65 yards.
The 24-year-old joins a large reception room made up of Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, Phillip Dorsett and Chris Moore. He should be able to compete for playing time immediately.
