Texans 2025 rookie WR Jayden Higgins named projected starter by PFF
The Houston Texans drafted nine players to upgrade positions of need across the roster and two should have the inside track to earn a starting role no later than midway through the 2025 season.
Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman wrote that second-round picks Jadyen Higgins and Aireontae Ersery could crack the Texans' starting lineup because of their need for help at offensive tackle and wide receiver.
A third-team Associated Press All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Ersery impressed on the blindside for the Golden Gophers. A three-year starter at left tackle, the Kansas City native only allowed just five sacks and 11 QB hits in over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps in Big Ten games.
The Texans added left tackle Cam Robinson this offseason as a stop-gap option following the trade of five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil. He's only in Houston on a one-year deal and is coming off an underwhelming stint with the Minnesota Vikings following a midseason trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Houston must build a young, prosperous line around third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud should it become a promising franchise built for long-term success. Should Ersery catch up with the playbook and feel smooth in pass protection, the hope could be for the future left tackle to become the Day 1 starter.
Higgins, a third-team AP All-American, was one of the top pass-patchers in the Big 12 for 2024, hauling in 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Cyclones. His 6-foot-4 frame and superb route-running should make him an immediate starter on the outside in place of the injured Tank Dell.
Higgins, who finished his college career [including Eastern Kentucky] with 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdown receptions, was one of the better wide receivers left on the board. Serving as a safety net for Rocco Becht, Higgins should provide the same value in Houston for Stroud opposite Pro Bowler Nico Collins and Christian Kirk.
The rest of the Texans' draft class has a bit of a harder path to starting in 2025. USC running back Woody Marks and Iowa State wideout Jaylin Noel should have roles, but they're blocked by Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and Kirk. Pretty much everyone else would need serious injuries for the other players to be thrust into the starting lineup.
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