Texans Rookie Deemed 'Virtual Lock' to Start Week One

The Houston Texans brought in an assortment of interesting rookies during this year's batch of draftees, including nine prospects down the board on both sides of the ball.

For most first-year players, a rookie season is centered around development, being gradually brought into the mix, and working their way up the depth chart to land a place within a long-term starting role. However, for a select few in this offseason's draft, they could be expected to fall in line as an early starter in the mix, and the Texans may have one of their own to take note of.

Pro Football Focus expert Dalton Wasserman recently dove into what each notable rookie's year one impact could look like in the league, along with their chances to become a year one starter. In terms of "virtual locks" to start next season, only 12 rookies made the cut.

For the Texans, Wasserman credited one prospect from their class of incoming rookies as their own virtual lock to start: second-round wide receiver Jayden Higgins.

"Each of these players was selected within the first 34 picks in the draft and has virtually nothing in their way of gaining a starting spot," Wasserman wrote.

Higgins files in alongside an elite company of guys like Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter as the prospects atop the list for Wasserman's rankings–– perhaps a good sign of things to come for the Texans' new wideout.

Higgins enters a receiving room with a ton of opportunity. While Nico Collins is primed to be the number-one target in C.J. Stroud's offense with the highest target share on the roster, Higgins will be one among the group of Christian Kirk, Dalton Schultz, and even former Iowa State teammate Jaylin Noel to emerge as the top weapons in this passing offense.

For Higgins, he has the high draft value as the Texans' top pick on the board to have confidence in a strong first-year workload, and especially in an offense which will be seeking replacements for Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell's production from a year ago, the stage is set for a big year one for Houston's 34th pick.