After many years with Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and many below-average receivers, the Houston Texans upgraded their receiving corps in the 2013 NFL Draft by drafting former Clemson Tiger DeAndre Hopkins with the 27th overall pick. After a poor rookie season, due largely to the struggles of former Texans QB Matt Schaub, Hopkins proved his worth in 2014.

With Johnson losing a step or two, Hopkins became the No. 1 receiver for the Texans in 2014, snatching 76 passes for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. After Johnson’s departure to the Indianapolis Colts, Hopkins is the unquestioned go-to receiver for the Texans’ offense.

Hopkins excelled last season despite having caught passes from four different quarterbacks (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage and Case Keenum), all of whom aren’t even average quarterbacks. In 2015, Keenum is no longer with the team, and Fitzpatrick was let go in favor of Brian Hoyer, another average QB.

Shorts III and Strong will likely battle for the starting position opposite Hopkins with the other earning the starting slot position. Washington and Mumphery could also push for playing time if they do what’s asked of them. Still, Hopkins will get a majority of the targets and will be the receiver that opposing defenses fear the most.

Most starting receivers who are now in the NFL usually are the main stars of their respective college teams, but that wasn’t the case for Hopkins. During his final season at Clemson, Hopkins played across from Sammy Watkins, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Once arriving in Houston, Hopkins was then overshadowed by Johnson, who is not only the best receiver in Texans’ history, but the best player in Texans’ history. This season, however, will be the first that Hopkins will be the main guy without the benefit of having a mentor like Johnson to guide him through the tough times.

After some early struggles, Hopkins has proved himself as a dependable receiver, and the sky’s the limit for him going forward. It won’t be long before we talk about Hopkins as a future Pro Bowler and as one of the best young receivers in the NFL today.

Brian Kalchik is a Houston Texans writer and featured writer for www.RantSports.com. He also covers the NBA, College Basketball, Fantasy Sports, Clubhouse and College Football for the site. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.