Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak gushed this month over DeAndre Hopkins, calling the rookie wide receiver a "special" talent in position to help the team right out of the gate.
As predicted, Hopkins played with the first team during this week's organized team activities, but receivers coach Larry Kirksey says his new pupil has yet to be crowned a starter.
"The (second-year guys) have come a long way from last year, and now DeAndre's got to go through the same learning process," Kirksey told Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle. "He's a talented young man, and we have very high expectations for him. But these second-year guys are ahead of him right now. They're competing; they're not just going to let him have the job."
Those second-year guys -- Keshawn Martin and Lestar Jean (actually a third-year pro who spent 2011 on injured reserve) -- don't possess the natural gifts Hopkins brings to the table, but they both figure to make the roster after Kevin Walter signed with the Tennessee Titans.
It's May, and Kirksey wants competition, but Kubiak has been crystal clear: Unless Hopkins totally bombs, he'll be lined up opposite Andre Johnson when the real games start.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
