Houston Texans' Second-Round Pick Will Fire C.J. Stroud Up

The young QB has a big new target.

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) catches a pass in front of Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kyan McDonald (38) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Thanks to a Thursday night trade with the New York Giants, the Houston Texans didn't make their first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft until No. 34 overall. That selection will make Houston's star quarterback very happy next season.

With the second pick of the second round, the Texans selected Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins. The 22-year-old wideout has a large frame at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, and he gives C.J. Stroud a possession receiver who projects to play alongside Nico Collins, Christian Kirk and eventually Tank Dell.

Higgins ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine and had an athleticism score of 87 per Next Gen Stats, good for the eighth-best among receivers.

At Iowa State in 2024, Higgins logged 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns as the Cyclones went 11-3 and reached the Big 12 Championship Game. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Prior to his time in Ames, Higgins played two seasons at Eastern Kentucky. Higgins caught 87 passes for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Colonels, including 10 scores in his final 2022 season.

Higgins figures to be an immediate target for the third-year Stroud, who struggled for much of last season but found his form toward the end. The Texans will likely be without Dell for most of the 2025 season due to injury, so Higgins will have the opportunity to make an impact very early on for Houston.

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