Texans receiver Tank Dell on CJ Stroud: 'He brings a special kind of swag,' will bridge gap to Mahomes

Beware Patrick Mahomes. CJ Stroud may be coming for your unofficial distinction as best quarterback in the NFL. At least, his Texans teammate Tank Dell believes he’s on the verge of doing so.

Stroud, of course, was the most dynamic rookie in the league last year, taking the Texans to the AFC South title and the second-round of the playoffs. Houston finally lost on the road in Baltimore to Lamar Jackson‘s Ravens. Although Mahomes won his third Super Bowl title, Jackson is the reigning NFL MVP. So maybe Stroud surpasses Jackson, too, in the not-too-distant future.

It should be noted that Dell and Stroud are members of the same Texans draft class. And Stroud is the quarterback who feeds Dell the ball. So there is reason to stay on the quarterback’s good side. But consider that what Dell is saying might not be hyperbole.

“He just brings a special type of swag,” Dell said in a recent edition of the I Am Athlete podcast. “You can see it in him. I, for sure, feel like C.J. got the opportunity to be the best quarterback in the league. Not me just saying that because of who he is to me, but just like what I’m seeing him do each and every week.

“What the world sees, they’re seeing exactly what we’re seeing,” Dell said. “How he is just coming out there as a 21-year-old man going against grown men, and he’s out here just balling every week. It’s like how consistent he is. I feel like C.J. gotta keep doing what he’s doing to bridge the gap between him and Mahomes. Not going to lie, Mahomes is special…it’s for sure going to be a lot of work, but I feel like if he just keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s on the right path.”

The most recent thing Stroud has done is send his teammates videos that break down Texans opponents. It’s early July and Stroud was messaging them at 11 p.m. It kind of indicates that Stroud has football on his mind until he goes to sleep.

The Texans knew Stroud, the former Ohio State star, could be an elite quarterback. After all, they selected him with the second pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Dell, the former Houston Cougar, came along in the third round. The two had quite the chemistry their rookie season until Dell fractured his leg in week 13. The game before, Dell caught eight passes for 149 yards from Stroud. He finished his rookie year with 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns.

All eyes will be on Stroud and the Texans this season. Last year was a charmed one. This season, fans are expecting at least as much, especially after Houston traded for receiver Stefon Diggs. That’ll give them a formidable receiving group of Nico Collins, Diggs and Dell along with tight end Dalton Schultz. Plus, the Texans signed running back Joe Mixon from the Bengals.

So maybe there is reason to think that Stroud can at least be MVP adjacent to the likes of Mahomes and Jackson.