Tank Dell

Nathaniel Jasper "Tank" Dell Jr. (born October 29, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, Independence Community College, and Houston Cougars.

Tank Dell

Dell in 2024
No. 3 – Houston Texans
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1999-10-29) October 29, 1999 (age 25) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight:	165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High school:	Mainland (Daytona Beach)
College:	Alabama A&M (2018) Independence CC (2019) Houston (2020–2022)
NFL draft:	2023: 3rd round, 69th pick
Career history
Houston Texans (2023–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-AAC (2021, 2022)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Receptions: 98 Receiving yards: 1,376 Receiving touchdowns: 10 Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

Dell attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.^[1] He had originally committed to Florida International University (FIU) to play college football but attended Alabama A&M University instead.^[2][3] After one year at Alabama A&M in which he had 12 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns, he transferred to Independence Community College.^[4] In his lone year at Independence, he had 52 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns.^[5][1]

Dell transferred to the University of Houston in 2020.^[6] In his first year at Houston, he led the team with 29 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns over eight games.^[7] In 2021, he again led the team with 90 receptions for 1,329 yards with 12 touchdowns.^[8][9] He returned to Houston as the number one receiver in 2022, during which he made 100 receptions for 1,398 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in only 13 games played.

College statistics

Season	Team	GP	Receiving
			Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
2018	Alabama A&M	4	12	364	30.3	3
2019	Independence CC	10	52	766	14.7	8
2020	Houston	8	29	428	14.8	3
2021	Houston	14	90	1,329	26.8	12
2022	Houston	13	109	1,398	12.8	17
Career		49	292	5,285	14.7	43

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	Broad jump
5 ft 8+3⁄8 in (1.74 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m)	8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m)	4.49 s	1.49 s	2.57 s	10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
All values from NFL Combine[10][11]

Dell was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round, 69th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.^[12] In Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, Dell caught eight passes for a career-high 149 yards, and one touchdown.^[13] In Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, Dell suffered a fractured fibula and was ruled out for the rest of the season. He underwent surgery to repair the fibula the next day.^[14][15] He finished the season with 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns, which was among the rookie leaders at the time of the injury.^[16]

In Week 9 of the 2024 season, against the New York Jets, Dell had six receptions for 126 yards in the 21–13 loss.^[17] During the Texans’ Week 16 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dell collided with teammate Jared Wayne on a touchdown pass from C. J. Stroud and suffered a season-ending knee injury that included a dislocated knee, multiple torn ligaments, and meniscus damage.^[18][19] Prior to the injury, Dell had 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns.^[20] Later, it was reported it was likely he was to miss the entire 2025 season while recovering from the injury. ^[21]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2023	HOU	11	8	47	709	15.1	68	7	11	51	4.6	13	0	1	0
2024	HOU	14	10	51	667	13.1	50	3	9	43	4.8	18	0	0	0
Career		25	18	98	1,376	14.0	68	10	20	94	4.7	18	0	1	0

Personal life

On April 27, 2024, Dell sustained minor injuries from a shooting in Sanford, Florida. He was released from the hospital the next day.^[22]