Texans rookie receiver Jayden Higgins is expected to compete for a starting job during training camp after an impressive showing during spring practices.
The No. 34 pick made a number of plays downfield this spring, according to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime, though few of those passes were thrown by C.J. Stroud. A sore shoulder limited the star quarterback to handoffs during OTAs, per KRPC’s Aaron Wilson, but he was a full participant in mandatory minicamp and downplayed concerns about his arm.
Higgins has a clear opportunity to seize a role in Houston’s passing offense. Nico Collins is the team’s undisputed WR1, but the absence of a return timeline for Tank Dell and the departure of Stefon Diggs this offseason should open up plenty of targets for which Higgins (and others) can compete. The Texans traded a seventh-round pick for Christian Kirk and drafted Higgins’ Iowa State teammate Jaylin Noel in the third round; both will seek to carve out a target share of their own.
However, the Texans made their biggest investment in Higgins, both in terms of his draft slot and his contract. Not only did they draft him with the second pick of the second round, they also made him the first second-rounder in league history to receive a fully guaranteed rookie contract. (That forced the Browns to sign No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger to a fully guaranteed rookie deal and has delayed the signing of several other second-round picks.) A full training camp catching passes from Stroud will help Higgins build chemistry with his quarterback and build towards a potential starting role in the regular season.