The Houston Texans have found a new playmaker for C.J. Stroud.
After moving back nine spots on Thursday night from the No. 25 overall pick, the Texans stood pat to select Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgisn 34th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. For the second straight draft, Houston’s first pick
A third-team AP All-American, Higgins was one of the league’s top pass-patchers in the Big 12, hauling in 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Cylcones. His 6-foot-4 frame and superb route-running should make him an immediate starter on the outside in place of the injured Tank Dell.
Higgins, who finished his college career [including Eastern Kentucky] with 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdown receptions, was one of the better wide receivers left on the board. Serving as a safety net for Rocco Becht, Higgins should provide the same value in Houston.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following evaluation of Higgins:
Big inside/outside wideout with modest athletic attributes but outstanding ball skills that make him a projectable NFL prospect. Higgins needs a more limited route tree but can operate on all three levels in the right scheme. He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength. He has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.
The Texans still have four picks on Day 2 of the NFL draft, including the No. 58 pick in the second round.
Texans’ 2025 draft picks
- Round 2: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
- Round 2: No. 58
- Round 3: No. 79
- Round 3: No. 89
- Round 3: No. 99
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans select WR Jayden Higgins with 34th pick in 2025 NFL draft
The Houston Texans have found a new playmaker for C.J. Stroud.
After moving back nine spots on Thursday night from the No. 25 overall pick, the Texans stood pat to select Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgisn 34th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. For the second straight draft, Houston’s first pick
A third-team AP All-American, Higgins was one of the league’s top pass-patchers in the Big 12, hauling in 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Cylcones. His 6-foot-4 frame and superb route-running should make him an immediate starter on the outside in place of the injured Tank Dell.
Higgins, who finished his college career [including Eastern Kentucky] with 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdown receptions, was one of the better wide receivers left on the board. Serving as a safety net for Rocco Becht, Higgins should provide the same value in Houston.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following evaluation of Higgins:
Big inside/outside wideout with modest athletic attributes but outstanding ball skills that make him a projectable NFL prospect. Higgins needs a more limited route tree but can operate on all three levels in the right scheme. He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength. He has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.
The Texans still have four picks on Day 2 of the NFL draft, including the No. 58 pick in the second round.
Texans’ 2025 draft picks
- Round 2: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
- Round 2: No. 58
- Round 3: No. 79
- Round 3: No. 89
- Round 3: No. 99
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans select WR Jayden Higgins with 34th pick in 2025 NFL draft
