Jayden Higgins

WR·

Houston Texans·#81·6'4"·215 lb·Rookie·Iowa State

Tier 1Round 2, pick 34 in 2025

Updated November 6, 2026

75.0

Model Score

Resting on limited playing time

Trade value ·a 4th

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Jayden Higgins is a WR for the Houston Texans on a deal paying $2.9M a year through 2028, a $2.7M cap hit in 2026 (updated November 6, 2026).

STM Take

A big boundary receiver stuck in a rotational third role.

The case for

1,183 senior receiving yards at Iowa State plus 1st-team All-Big 12 honors is real college production. 6'4"/214 frame with above-average speed gives him a defined boundary role next to Collins.
Wk 17 2025's 16.8 PPR shows the spike-week ceiling when the offense engineers his target share. 2nd-round draft slot guarantees roster spots through at least 2027.

The worry

Rookie tier 8 finish with the duplicate-row zeros across Wks 17-18 confirms the role was rotational, not defined.
Behind Nico Collins's contract-anchored alpha role and Tank Dell's likely return, Higgins is permanently the WR3 unless an injury opens the room.

What to watch: Whether his 2026 target share clears 5 per game with Tank Dell back to full health, the threshold that separates a rotational piece from a meaningful WR3.

Full take and bio

The 2025 #71 (tier 8) rookie finish is reasonable for a 2nd-round pick on a depth chart still organized around Nico Collins. Wk 17's 16.8 PPR and Wk 18's 10.3 are the meaningful spike weeks, and the duplicate-row game log (Wks 17 and 18 both showing alternate zeros plus production) suggests the offense rotated him in and out. The 2026 question is whether his target share grows or stays in the rotational WR3 territory.

Higgins came out of Iowa State as Houston's 2nd-round pick (34th overall) in 2025 after a 1,183-yard senior season that earned him 1st-team All-Big 12 honors. At 6'4" and 214 pounds with above-average speed for his size, he profiles as a complementary boundary WR opposite Nico Collins, designed to ease the volume burden on Collins after the 2024 Tank Dell injury. The Houston WR room cycled through multiple options in 2025; Higgins emerged as one of the more usable rookie pieces alongside the veteran additions.

Comps

The players whose size, testing and production looked most like his at the same point in their careers. The percent is how close.

Davante Adams ’1490%David Boston ’9981%

Michael Pittman ’2080%

Cedric Tillman ’2477%

Kenny Golladay ’1775%

Plays like: Herman Moore, Davante Adams, Andre Johnson. Built like: Jordy Nelson, Brandon Marshall, Michael Pittman. Coming out: A.J. Green, Kenny Britt, Rome Odunze.

Of his 20 closest coming out: 3 stars, 9 starters, 6 backups, 2 didn't stick.

Jayden Higgins Injury StatusIR

Jayden Higgins is listed on injured reserve (Knee - ACL), reported Sep 8, with a return date of Feb 15. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.