HOUSTON -- Though all under the age of 25, the Houston Texans' wide receivers will not be using their youth as an excuse this season.
But, it has helped them grow close as a unit.
Second-year player Keith Mumphery is the oldest at 24, one day older than Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins, who is entering his fourth season. Rookie Will Fuller and Jaelen Strong are 22, while third-round pick Braxton Miller is 23.
The group is the youngest in the NFL, with an average age of 23 years and 165 days, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Fuller, the Texans' first-round pick in last spring's draft, said having a group of guys so close in age helps them communicate well, and it has also made him feel very comfortable around the other receivers. According to Fuller, the group gets together often outside of the facility to eat and "chill." Miller said he and Hopkins have played Madden together, though the rookie admitted that he is not as good as Hopkins.
Miller said this time together has helped the group bond, and he hopes it will translate onto the field.
"We can relate to each other," Miller said. "That's how we clicked when I came into the locker room. We've got the same type of vibe. All we want to do is win and make big plays for our team and make sure we're doing our jobs on the highest level."
Though the group is young, Miller said the inexperience isn't an excuse or hindrance.
"I really don't think of it as us being young," Miller said. "We're more mature, and we carry ourselves like we've been there before. We come here to work, day in and day out. I don't come in here and look at myself as a rookie. I just want to learn and go out there and provide the athleticism I got and just contribute to the team."
Hopkins is the most experienced receiver of the group and is coming off the best season of his career, when he caught 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns. Although he is entering just his fourth season at the age of 24, he is already taking on a leadership role among the group.
"There's a lot of different ways to be a mentor," Texans wide receivers coach Sean Ryan said. "DeAndre does it in both ways. [During a preseason game] at halftime, for example, he talked with those guys about what did they see from the two-minute drive at the end of the first half, that could maybe help the young guys if we ended up in a two-minute situation at the end of the game.
"It's good information and it comes from a guy who has credibility because of his production and his success. I think he does things by example, by making plays out there. But also by being vocal and trying to help those guys."
And just as the receivers refuse to use youth as an excuse, head coach Bill O'Brien holds them to the same standards.
"Once they arrive here, we don't care about whether they were drafted, undrafted, how they were acquired, how much money they make -- like none of that really affects anything," O'Brien said. "The only thing that we care about is how they operate, how they take care of business, how they play, how they perform on and off the field on a day-to-day basis."
O'Brien said he has seen the young receivers take nothing for granted through their dedication to learn the Texans' complex offensive playbook during the offseason and training camp.
"I'm expecting them to go out and play well," O'Brien said. "They've been out there every day. They've practiced well. They have a good understanding of our offense. In our minds, they're ready to play.
"There are going to be bumps in the road, just like there are with all our rookies, and with any player really, that they're going to have to overcome and basically put in the rearview mirror. But I expect those guys to go out there and play well."