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.
College career Dell attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. He had originally committed to Florida International University (FIU) to play college football but attended Alabama A&M University instead. 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. In his lone year at Independence, he had 52 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns.
Dell transferred to the University of Houston in 2020. In his first year at Houston, he led the team with 29 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns over eight games. In 2021, he again led the team with 90 receptions for 1,329 yards with 12 touchdowns. 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 14.8 12 2022 Houston 13 109 1,398 12.8 17 Career 49 292 4,285 14.7 43
Professional career
Dell was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round, 69th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. In Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, Dell caught eight passes for a career-high 149 yards, and one touchdown. 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. 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.
In Week 9 of the 2024 season, against the New York Jets, Dell had six receptions for 126 yards in the 21–13 loss. 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. Prior to the injury, Dell had 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
Dell missed the 2025 season due to the knee injury.
Dell began the 2026 season on injured reserve while still recovering from his knee injury. On October 6, 2026, the Texans opened the 21-day practice window for Dell to return from injured reserve, with Dell returning to practice the next day.
NFL career statistics
Legend Bold Career high
Regular season Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles 2023 HOU 11 8 47 709 15.1 68 7 11 51 4.6 13 0 1 02024HOU14105166713.15039434.818000 2025 HOU 0 0 Did not play due to injuryCareer 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.
References
External links
Houston Texans bio Houston Cougars bio