Late-Round WR Could Be Surprise Standout Among Texans Rookies

It’s not uncommon for teams to draft multiple players at the same position in the same draft, especially when it comes to wide receiver. Still, it’s not impossible for the player who was taken dozens of picks after the first to outplay his new teammate.

In the case of the Houston Texans, 2025 second-round pick Jayden Higgins and third-round pick Jaylin Noel aren’t new teammates, both coming from Iowa State. While Higgins was valued more in this year’s draft, there’s actually reason to believe that Noel could outperform his fellow former Cyclone.

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski highlighted several similar situations across the league, but none are quite as unique as the Texans’ new receiving duo.

As Sobleski pointed out, statistically, Noel outperformed Higgins a couple of times during their college careers. Last season, Noel led the Cyclones in receiving yards, while in 2023, Noel had the edge in receptions.

Of course, opportunities in the NFL vary, especially for rookies. The two players come to the league with different skill sets. At 6-foot-4, Higgins wins his reps with size and positioning, utilizing his huge catch radius. Noel burns with speed in a 6-foot, sub-200-pound frame.

Smaller receivers tend to create more volume in receptions, so the avenue is there for Noel to outperform Higgins again, but it’s not such a certainty that anyone would truly predict it to happen. After all, the Texans have a fairly deep receiving group with Nico Collins and Christian Kirk as its top veterans, while Tank Dell will look to provide a spark when he returns from injury.

Higgins has a clearer path to seeing the field, likely among the top three options with Collins and Kirk. Meanwhile, Noel has to contend with John Metchie, a similarly built receiver, while looking up at Kirk on the depth chart, and Dell eventually reclaiming his spot.

Still, time will tell if Noel can stand up to Higgins’ NFL potential. If anything, it makes for a fun background storyline to track as the two talented receivers get their pro careers started.