Texans Need Big Years From Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel
Is there a trend among day-two wide receivers?
The Houston Texans must get production out of second-year wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
Last year’s draft saw the pair of Iowa State teammates selected on the draft’s second day. Higgins was the 34th overall selection while Noel was picked 79th overall.
Higgins was a mainstay in the offense from the start. He got the nod to start opposite Nico Collins. The team’s top pick in 2025 had a slow start, but settled in mid-year. During week eight, with Collins out, Higgins had one of his best games. It was the starting point for the hot finish to the rookie’s regular season. Higgins would rack up 79 percent of his yards, 78 percent of his receptions, and all but one of his six touchdowns in his final 11 games.
Noel’s path to the field wasn’t as clear. Veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk stood in his way. Despite Kirk’s poor performance, the Texans never turned the spot over to Noel. This rookie season was drastically different from the one Higgins had. Higgins had five games of one or fewer receptions. Noel had nine in his rookie year. There was a glimmer of hope on special teams, but the consistency wasn’t there on the field.
Houston turns to these two rookies in a key season for the franchise. The offense must be better, or the futures of quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive coordinator Nick Caley, and others will be in question.
Higgins and Noel enter their second season with high expectations. If they fail, there’s no backup plan. Xavier Hutchinson hasn’t shown the ability to be a consistent starter on the outside. Rookie Lewis Bond is the likely backup in the slot. This can’t be another season where Stroud is targeting Dalton Schultz 100 times. Add in the assumption Collins will miss time, and the need for Higgins and Noel to step up is clear.
The time is now.
