The Houston Texans used the early part of the 2025 offseason to load up on weapons to help quarterback C.J. Stroud. Houston began by trading for veteran receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, the Texans drafted Iowa State wide receivers Jayden Higgins (second round) and Jaylin Noel (third round) in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Fans got their first glimpse of these new additions through reporters during OTAs and mandatory minicamp at the end of May and start of June. While some players shone, others didn't. This was definitely the case for the Iowa State duo, as Higgins shone early and Noel fell into the background.
Jayden Higgins Flashes in OTAs and Minicamp Over Fellow Rookie Jaylin Noel
Higgins' highlight play of the spring came on the first day of minicamp in 7-on-7 drills. The 22-year-old receiver made a one-handed catch falling forward on second-year cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
Jayden Higgins doing Jayden Higgins thingspic.twitter.com/5QJ1wgS2jN
— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) June 10, 2025
In addition to that catch, Higgins' route running ability showed early on in practice. In two seasons with the Cyclones, he recorded 2,166 yards on 140 receptions and scored 15 touchdowns, thanks in large part to his route-running ability. Given the early signs, it seems like Higgins could be in a position for a high-volume role in the Texans' offense with his route-running prowess.
Noel, on the other hand, was quiet during the spring. A contributing factor in his inability to stand out was his missing a bit of practice time. Though it's never good to miss practice time as a rookie, general manager Nick Caserio had nothing but positive things to say about both players during a radio interview with SportsRadio810.
Caserio said, "The Iowa State kids have come in here and done a really good job as well. And I mean just anecdotally, when we talk about work we practice, and you know Jaylin {Noel} has kind of missed a few practices here."
He added," But I mean the weight room is right outside mine and Demeco's office and one day we kind of look around and you hear a bunch of noise. And you got the Jugs machine set up in the weight room, and you got Higgins and Noel with their helmets on catching balls... We didn't have to tell them anything, they are doing that on their own."
Nick Caserio shared with @SeanTPendergast & @SethCPayne on @SportsRadio610 and anecdote on how Jayden Higgins & Jaylin Noel exhibit great work ethic. pic.twitter.com/VIT7YzxPh1
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 13, 2025
Despite Noel missing a couple of practices and not making splashy plays, it seems that he is putting in the work to be a part of the Texans' offense this year. Fans will have to wait for training camp to see if Noel can start making headlines with highlight catches.