In the NFL Draft this past April, The Houston Texans surprised no one by selecting a wide receiver with the 27th overall selection.  I had mocked former Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins here more than once and think it was a stellar pick, despite Cordarrelle Patterson still being on the board.  But what sort of fantasy impact will the rookie pass catcher have in 2013 for the Texans? Let’s take a look and figure it out.

As you can see, Hopkins’ numbers steadily increased in his three years at Clemson, culminating in a monstrous 2012 season.  Throughout his college career, 45 percent of all of Hopkins’ targets were over 10 yards downfield, and rightly so.  Hopkins is a superb route runner and at 6’1”, with long, 33 ?” arms, huge, dependable and soft 10” hands and a very impressive 36” vertical leap; Hopkins can out maneuver, gain position and bring down contested balls over almost any defender.  Yes he’s not the fastest receiver ever, but did that ever hurt Anquan Boldin, especially in the deep game?

It’s no secret that Houston was looking to the future with selecting Hopkins, who will be a great eventual replacement for Andre Johnson as the Texans’ No. 1 receiver.  But in the meantime, he will be the perfect No. 2 option opposite of Johnson.  While Johnson is dealing with double teams, Hopkins will regularly have favorable one-on-one matchups and will burn defenders with his ability to rack up yards after the catch.  There’s a solid chance he may end up with more receptions than Johnson this upcoming season. 

In the end, Hopkins’ current average draft position (ADP) sits at 32, putting him right at the end of the second round, or early third round depending on league size.  This means he’s a low-end WR1 option for 2013, especially in PPR leagues.  Looking to the future in dynasty formats, Hopkins is definitely a can’t miss. 

2013 Stat Projections: 85 receptions, 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns.