The second night of the 2025 NFL Draft kicked off on Friday night. This is the part of the draft where there is a ton of value left on the board, and teams are aggressively trying to snag players atop their draft board.
The Texans owned the No. 34 overall pick in the second round, and they drafted Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins. The addition of Higgins is great for C.J. Stroud and the offense, but that could spell bad news for fellow receiver John Metchie III.
With the No. 34 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @HoustonTexans select Jayden Higgins.
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RGV90FmXPK
Texans Select Jayden Higgins in Second Round
The Texans clearly have a type at receiver, as Higgins is very similar to Nico Collins. The Iowa State product stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 214 pounds (Nico Collins, 6'4, 222 pounds). Despite being that tall, Higgins has terrific short-area quickness with the ability to win 50/50 balls with ease.
In 26 games at Iowa State, Higgins recorded 140 receptions for 2,166 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. The trio of Higgins, Collins, and Christian Kirk is enticing, considering Tank Dell's status for the 2025 season is up in the air.
While fans should be thrilled with this pick, that doesn't bode well for Metchie III. He was their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but ended up missing his rookie campaign after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
He returned to the gridiron for the 2023 and 2024 seasons but hasn't made much of an impact. In 29 games in Houston, the 24-year-old has 40 catches for 412 receiving yards and one touchdown. He failed to log more than 254 receiving yards in a season.
Metchie III is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, and the Texans could look to deal him to another team. It looks like his chances of making an impact on this team have taken another hit and this addition could be the final nail in the coffin.