Former Iowa State Football Star Expected to Have Monster Rookie Season

Jayden Higgins was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round, and ESPN thinks the former Iowa State star might explode onto the NFL scene.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa State wideout Jayden Higgins (WO18) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones had elite playmakers on their roster last season, and the NFL agreed as several were taken in the three-day draft just about a month ago.

Jayden Higgins, who was drafted by the Houston Texans, was among them and was the first Cyclones star off the board. Higgins will be reunited with Jaylin Noel, who appears to be among his best friends, in Houston. The only other Cyclones taken were cornerback Darien Porter to the Raiders at No. 68 and Jalen Travis to the Colts at No. 127.

While all should see some action as rookies, Higgins is expected to be heavily involved in the Texans' offense early on, and ESPN sees him as being a top rookie at receiver in the coming year. The World Wide Leader in Sports broke down the rookie leaders. Mike Clay listed his top five rookies in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns, and Higgins just made the cut at No. 5, expected to have around 723 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

Likely to be a top-three option for a dynamic Texans offense, that isn't too shocking, and one could certainly argue he should be higher on the list, a group led by Carolina Panthers' Tetairoa McMillan. Here's what Clay wrote on Higgins and a few of the other receivers.

"Golden (No. 23), Higgins (No. 34) and Bech (No. 58) all could easily start in Week 1. But the outlook for receivers selected after pick No. 20 through the third round is unspectacular," Clay penned.

For Higgins, the starpower is there, and the catch radius is impressive. With Tank Dell likely out for the season and C.J. Stroud set to rebound after a slight sophomore slump, expect Higgins to see the ball come his way early and often.

Jayden Higgins is impossible to guard at the LOS.

One of the best release packages in the class and is nuanced and strong at the top of the route.

Top 40 player in this draft and one of “my guys” ♨️ pic.twitter.com/wagU1d9Sfe

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 27, 2025

The Texans got a steal with Higgins dropping into the second round, and hopefully, he's able to be used often right out of the gate.