HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans needed a receiver to play with DeAndre Hopkins, and were willing to trade up to get him.
Houston selected Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, trading with Washington to move up one spot to take him at No. 21 overall in the NFL draft Thursday night. The Texans were scheduled to pick 22nd, but traded their sixth-round pick in 2017 to the Redskins to select Fuller.
Hopkins made his first Pro Bowl last season after finishing third in the NFL with 1,521 yards receiving. But they were looking for another top-tier receiver to take some pressure off the 23-year-old Hopkins, who faced near constant double teams last season, and give new quarterback Brock Osweiler another target as he takes over Houston's offense.
Fuller had 62 receptions for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns last season for the Fighting Irish. It was his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season after he had a career-high 76 receptions for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns -- also a career-best -- in 2014.
He said his only contact with the Texans was at the combine, but he was encouraged by that visit and hopeful they'd take him with their first pick.
"I felt good about it because I knew they needed a receiver who could open the field up and I felt like I fit that mold perfectly," Fuller said.
At 6-foot and 184 pounds, Fuller isn't all that big, but his 4.32 40-yard dash speed should help him become a deep threat in coach Bill O'Brien's offense.
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