The Texans signed wide receiver Dorin Dickerson to a contract Wednesday, and the seventh-rounder is the sixth of the team's nine draft picks to be under contract.
HOUSTON - The Houston Texans signed seventh-round draft pick Dorin Dickerson on Wednesday.
Dickerson (6-2, 230) was selected with the 227th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft following a dynamic collegiate playing career at the University of Pittsburgh. He'll play wide receiver in Houston after a collegiate career in which he played three different positions in 46 career games (eight at wide receiver, 12 at strong side linebacker and 26 at tight end).
"He's got a lot of ability," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said during mini-camp. "Obviously we're trying to settle him down at one spot. I like his size, I like his ability."
Dickerson capped his career with a record-setting senior season in which he became the first Pittsburgh tight end since Mike Ditka in 1960 to earn first-team All-America honors. He set a school record for tight ends with 10 touchdown receptions and finished the season with 49 catches for 529 yards (10.9 average). Dickerson was also a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end, and he became the first Pittsburgh tight end to be named First Team All-Big East Conference.
For his career, Dickerson had 63 receptions for 708 yards (11.2 average) and 12 touchdowns. All 11 of his starts came at tight end.
Kubiak said the transition to wide receiver will be smoother if Dickerson emulates All-Pro Andre Johnson.
"I told him (Dickerson) to follow him (Johnson) around. He's got that big body like Andre. He's got a little stiffness that we've got to work through and I think that comes from just not playing that position for a long time," Kubiak said.
Kubiak expects Dickerson to contribute on special teams before cracking into the rotation at receiver.
"He's got to prove that he can help us out there. If he was a fifth receiver on game day or a sixth, you can suit six guys if they're all playing special teams. I think that's his number one priority, doing it for (special teams coach) Joe (Marciano) right now."
Dickerson is the sixth of the Texans nine draft picks to sign with the team, joining WR Trindon Holliday, CB Sherrick McManis, DT Earl Mitchell, LB Darryl Sharpton and G Shelley Smith.
