Houston Texans Have One Rookie Poised for Massive First Season

Coming out of last month's NFL draft, the Houston Texans walked away with an interesting batch of incoming rookies, especially when looking on what was brought in on the offensive side of the ball–– whether that be in the backfield, at receiver, or upfront on the offensive line.

But when taking a step back to look at which of the Texans' rookie class could have the biggest year one impact, who could that player be?

In the eyes of Sports Illustrated analyst Daniel Flick, the stage is set for the Texans' first pick off the board, Jayden Higgins, to have a massive impact across his rookie year, and could even navigate his way to being the second option in the passing game as early as his first season.

"Between Stefon Diggs signing with the New England Patriots in free agency and Tank Dell’s uncertain recovery timeline from a serious knee injury sustained Dec. 21 last season, the Texans’ receiving corps lacks depth and playmakers, sans Nico Collins and Christian Kirk," Flick wrote. "Higgins is a smooth-moving, sure-handed target at 6' 4" and 214 pounds, and his long strides and elusiveness make him dangerous after the catch. He should see a healthy dose of targets as Houston’s No. 2 receiver."

The Texans entered this offseason with a massive hole needing to be addressed at wide receiver. With both Stefon Diggs out of the fold for next season and likely Tank Dell too, the task was simple for the Houston front office: add more playmakers for C.J. Stroud.

And by pairing together Higgins with his college teammate Jaylin Noel, as well as trading for Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk, the Texans front office led by Nick Caserio did just that. But of all of Houston's new acquisitions, Higgins is the one to keep a keen eye on.

During his latest season at Iowa State, he posted 87 receptions, 1,183 yards, along with nine touchdowns as a strong one-two punch next to Noel.

He has the physical standout traits to make him a dangerous weapon on the outside, has the proven production as a lead option at Iowa State in being the team leader in receptions for the 2024 campaign, and as the Texans' first pick off the board in this year's draft, his stock would have you to believe a big year one role is on the way.

That doesn't mean Higgins will be dethroning a star wideout like Nico Collins as the Texans' WR1 anytime soon, but as a complementary option in Stroud's assortment of weapons, he should be a welcomed, impactful boost into this offense for 2025.