Texans GM Weighs In on Rookie Seasons for Young WR Duo

This past offseason, the Houston Texans decided to invest a bit in their wide receiver corps of the future by selecting not one, but two Iowa State pass-catchers in the first two days of the NFL Draft––bringing in second-rounder Jayden Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel as new additions to help bolster their air attack for 2025 and onwards.

And while their seasons started a bit slow with opportunities few and far between, in due time, their roles would expand into key pieces of the Texans' depth chart; with Higgins emerging as the third-leading pass-catcher behind Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz, while Noel found his niche as a productive returner on special teams.

For a rookie season, both Higgins and Noel walked away being able to consider theirs a success, a sentiment which was echoed by Texans general manager Nick Caserio during his end-of-season presser.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, two really good players. Excited about their future," Caserio said of Higgins and Noel. "I think Higgins showed he's got a chance to be a really good player. He's as productive as any of our offensive skill players over the last month or two of the season."

"J-Noel, you know, showed what he can do in return game, probably get some more opportunities here offensively [next year].But, I mean, 2 good football players... I think J-Noel kind of showed his kind of versatility, you know, punt returner, kickoff returner, and when he played offensively, he made he made a lot of plays. So, I'm sure we're going to see more J-Noel next year."

Nick Caserio Saw Big Positives in Rookie WR Duo

Not only did Caserio like what he saw from his rookie receivers, but he also envisions an expanded role for both of them further down the line into next season.

For Higgins, he might've quickly established himself as a strong counterpart to Nico Collins on the outside, and could expand into Houston's immediate WR2 in the offense as soon as Week 1 of the 2026 season. Higgins had five games with five or more targets in the second half of the Texans' 2025 regular season, and had four with at least 50 receiving yards.

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (82) and wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

As for Noel, his opportunities on offense weren't exactly as prevalent as Higgins saw in year one, but rolling into his sophomore campaign, it's clear he's bound to see more targets coming his way, and perhaps retain his spot as the explosive returner he was for most of the season.

Especially if the Texans lose out on Christian Kirk in free agency, the target share for each of Higgins and Noel is bound to see a surge in the right direction. But even if not, expect to see more of Houston's young pass-catchers once everyone's back on the field in September.

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