C.J. Stroud Points to One Rookie Standing Out for Texans

The Houston Texans did some considerable work to their wide receiver room this offseason to add a few new faces in C.J. Stroud's arsenal, both with young and veteran contributors lining up next to Nico Collins in hopes of giving this offense more of a spark than what was seen last season.

And in that mix of acquisitions was a pair of rookie receivers brought in from Iowa State: Jayden Higgins in round two, and Jaylin Noel in round three. Both present different skillsets to the passing game, with Higgins' physical upside and ability as a vertical threat, while Noel brings a bit more versatility and speed into the building himself.

And while each has shown their respective upside through training camp to inspire confidence for this season, Stroud gave some notable praise to Noel after Thursday's joint practice, saying the young wideout has looked great through his initial sample size.

"Yeah, he looks great, man. He's done really good of just running clean routes, using his quickness, using his speed to his advantage," Stroud said on Thursday. "Starting to learn NFL routes, which I think has been great. But, yeah, he's making plays out here every day, and I'm really happy for him."

Noel, compared to Higgins, might be primed for a lesser role from the jump, simply due to the draft stock Houston invested in the second-round pick and the mismatches he can present next to Collins in the lineup, but that doesn't mean Noel won't be able to find value in this offense through year one.

Noel was a productive pass catcher during his time at Iowa State last year, leading the team in yards, ahead of Higgins, at 1,194 yards on 80 receptions, also securing eight touchdowns in the process.

A bit less refined than his second-round counterpart, but he has the speed and run-after-catch ability that makes him worth a look in this Texans receiving corps for his rookie campaign, if the opportunity is provided to him.

Jul 24, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (82) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In the event Noel can compete with Christian Kirk for those reps at the slot position, keep an eye on both Iowa State receivers kicking off their rookie seasons in a big way, rather than just one.

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