Texans Have Legit Breakout Candidate in WR Jayden Higgins

The Houston Texans' wide receiver room could have a notable breakout candidate in store for the 2026 season.

That candidate would be second-year pass-catcher Jayden Higgins, who's fresh off a productive rookie campaign as the 34th-overall pick in last year's draft, and appears to be rolling into this season with already noticeable improvements to his game in the eyes of Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.

DeMeco Ryans Seeing Major Strides From Jayden Higgins

Ryans spoke about what he's seen from Higgins through the current NFL offseason leading up to the Texans' OTAs, and had a lot of positive comments surrounding the work he's put together thus far.

"[Jayden] Higgins has done a really great job of taking advantage of the offseason," Ryans said of the second-year wideout. "Really coming back in shape. He's looking bigger, stronger, faster–– which is what you expect for a second-year player of his caliber."

"He's definitely taken advantage of it. I'm really excited to see what it's going to look like this season. I know he's going to have a really good year based on how he looks right now."

DeMeco Ryans with notable praise for #Texans WRs Jayden Higgins & Jaylin Noel at OTAs:

"Higgins has done a really great job of taking advantage of the offseason... He's looking bigger, stronger, faster."

"I'm really excited to see what it's going to look like this season." 👀 pic.twitter.com/csgmMbeChO
— Houston Texans On SI (@TexansOnSI) May 28, 2026

In Higgins' rookie season, the signs were already there that the Texans had found a dangerous pairing to place on the opposite side of Nico Collins in their passing offense.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout acted as a big-bodied threat who create mismatches and make his presence felt as an explosive playmaker downfield, and someone who can continue to work well in the red zone.

Higgins played in all 17 games of the Texans' 2025 season to post 41 receptions on 68 targets for 528 yards and six total touchdowns. He finished as the third-leading receiver in Houston's offense behind Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz, paired with being one of their best red-zone threats.

That presence would truly be felt in the Texans' playoff loss against the New England Patriots as he stepped up as Stroud's top target while Collins and Schultz were out–– finishing with a season-high 10 targets, hauling in six catches for 59 yards, albeit while coming up short in Foxborough.

Higgins Has Room for Much-Improved Second Season

While a great and inspiring rookie season from Higgins, there's certainly a ton of room for improvement headed into 2026, where this Texans offense will be looking for a spark as is.

And even three months out from the start of the regular season, the signs are already showing for Ryans.

Higgins really didn't become a featured weapon in the offense until midway through his first year, then began to find his groove as a top target for C.J. Stroud.

This season, the landscape of his role could be a little bit different. Higgins' gradual development will allow the Texans' staff to draw up more designed looks his way while keeping him on the field for more than the 57.8% of offensive snaps he saw in 2025.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) reacts after making a touchdown catch against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Last season, Higgins only saw a 12.0% target share in the Texans' offense, even falling behind Christian Kirk in the 12 games he was active.

Now that the veteran has switched out to the San Francisco 49ers via free agency, the door is wide open for the year-two weapon to vault into that third spot on the totem pole, or perhaps even higher depending on how well he performs leading up to training camp and next season.

Simply put, Higgins will be a key name to circle on the Texans' offense from now until the start of next season as someone who can be in prime position for a major leap, which will only benefit Houston's bottom line of trying to lift that Lombardi Trophy by the end of the season.

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