The Houston Texans' latest injury to their roster is one that certainly stings.

Earlier this week, the Texans placed second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel on injured reserve with a toe injury that's expected to sit him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Seeing any player go down with a season-ending injury is a tough pill to swallow, but that's especially so when losing out on a talent like Noel after the year he's put together. Noel has actually led Houston's offense in total receiving yards (331) and yards per reception (17.4) through their first seven games.

However, while losing Noel does take a hit to the Texans' overall offensive ceiling, it's certainly not time to panic as to how this passing attack is able to move forward.

In fact, the Texans might be able to stay afloat within their air attack pretty easily–– and that's because of the recent developments around their wide receiver position as a whole.

Why Texans Can Remain Optimistic After Jaylin Noel's Injury

Sure, losing out on the explosiveness and playmaking ability that Noel provides is going to be hard to replace within the offense. He is the Texans' leading receiver on the year for a reason after all.

But the Texans' wide receiver room, which once was void of depth within the first few weeks of the regular season, has now turned a corner in a big way heading into their Week 8 bye.

That's because of the acquisition of not only Marvin Harrison Jr., who was brought in via trade after Houston's Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans, but also the return of Tank Dell, who officially made his way back onto an NFL field for the first time in nearly two years this past weekend against the New York Giants.

Those two factoring into the mix are massive pieces of the puzzle for the Texans' offense. That pairing has a great chance to supplement that playmaking ability and depth that has since been lost at the position without Noel, which wasn't quite as available just a few games ago.

In Weeks 2 and 3, the Texans' leading contributors at wide receiver while Nico Collins was sidelined with a hamstring strain were none other than Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson. A little over a month later, now with Dell and Harrison Jr. as a part of the equation, Houston's fate at the position has taken a full 180.

The hurdle sitting between that playmaking really coming to fruition is for the Texans to find a way to get them on the field in longer stints. This past weekend against the Giants, the two failed to combine for more than 30 snaps on the offense, which is expected given their respective situations.

But that outcome could certainly change in a big way after the bye. Harrison Jr. will have another week of learning the Texans' playbook under his belt. Dell will be even more comfortable coming off of his knee injury and create a much more potent attack for Houston to lean on through the air.

When you add that pairing alongside an already bonafide top wideout like Nico Collins, there's more than enough reason to believe that the Texans' passing offense can stay steady, even without one of their most potent pass-catchers.

Bottom Line

So of course, not having Noel on the field for the next two weeks is a noteworthy loss for the Texans, and takes away yet another high-potential receiver out of this offensive attack right next to his draft classmate in Jayden Higgins.

But if the Texans can continue to get Harrison Jr. and Dell involved in the game plan, and they hold up their end of the bargain, that'll be their best course of action in hopes that this offense can rebound moving forward. Time will tell if it'll come to fruition as expected.