Breer: Jayden Higgins takes ‘major step forward’

Ryans used that phrase to describe Higgins and Woody Marks. Ryans also talked about needing a true No. 2 receiver outside of Nico Collins and said, “Jayden can be that guy.” Collins was banged up for some of 2025 and the team did not have Tank Dell at any point, so Higgins was asked to play more than most Day Two rookies. He popped for the occasional big play and scored six touchdowns but ultimately finished the year just six catches ahead of Xavier Hutchinson. It sounds like he is pulling away from Hutchinson this offseason, giving him a much higher floor heading into 2026.

The Texans placed Noel on the NFI list at the start of camp. He is unable to practice until the team activates him. For a second-year player who struggled to earn playing time as a rookie, this is far from ideal. Tank Dell isn’t fully participating in practice yet, meaning Xavier Hutchinson and Jayden Higgins will see plenty of reps with the first-team offense to start camp.

Per Wilson, the Texans view him as a versatile receiver and plan to deploy him at multiple spots this year. Per PFF, Higgins ran 79.2 percent of his routes from the perimeter and 20.4 percent from the slot. If Higgins can secure the WR2 role and gain frequent slot usage from 11 personnel, that would go a long way toward reliable fantasy productivity. In addition to improving his fitness, Higgins has focused on the game’s “intellectual” aspect as well this offseason. Wilson adds that Higgins has been a standout among the receivers thus far and has “shown upgraded timing and chemistry” with QB C.J. Stroud. He has a chance to return value as a WR3 or better this season, though there are a lot of potential mouths to feed in Houston with Tank Dell and David Montgomery joining on.

Regarding Higgins’ on-field development, Ryans is “really excited to see how he’s going to look this season.” Ryans covered all the bases here. It’s always nice to hear that a player worked hard to prepare for organized team activities, but physical improvements are only half the battle. Hopefully, positive reports on Higgins’ route running and film studies are soon to follow.

With Nico Collins (concussion) out and Dalton Schultz (calf) soon joining him, Higgins took over as the Texans’ No. 1 pass catcher after playing second fiddle to Christian Kirk in the Wild Card Round. Although it was a disastrous day for the Texans’ passing attack, Higgins was indeed a “rare bright spot.” Although he was much more involved in the second half of the season than the first, Higgins did have a quiet stretch run as the Texans rode their defense to the postseason. The No. 34 overall pick still showed more than enough for fantasy managers to maintain optimism heading into Year 2 in Houston. Collins spends an unfortunate amount of time on the shelf, while Schultz has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. Kirk is an impending free agent. Already with a 41/525/6 slash to his name, Higgins could end up a “surprising” 2026 WR2 in fantasy.

Collins was unable to practice throughout the week. Texans slot WR Christian Kirk operated as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver last week, and is likely the best bet to do so again against the Patriots. It is an unfortunate development for Collins, who also missed his team’s Week 8 game against the 49ers due to concussion. Texans rookie WRs, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, have a chance to rise to the occasion.

Kirk served as quarterback C.J. Stroud’s primary option throughout as alpha wide receiver Nico Collins drew lockdown shadow coverage from standout corner Joey Porter Jr. That role only grew in the fourth quarter following Collins’ departure due to a concussion, an ailment that has a good chance of keeping him sidelined through the team’s Divisional Round matchup against the Patriots next weekend. Jayden Higgins will likely step into the primary perimeter role in the absence of Collins after catching 3-of-4 targets for 39 yards against the Steelers, while Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel split WR3 duties.

It is worth noting that Higgins had one target after halftime — the Texans can’t sit all their starters, but perhaps they don’t quite consider Higgins in the main circle of trust yet. Either way, his touchdown was a nice underneath toe-tapper in the red zone and he paid off for anyone who had to pivot to him when Nico Collins was ruled out ahead of the game.

The Texans could still win the AFC South with a win and a Jacksonville loss today, but the Jags face the lowly Titans. That all but guarantees them the AFC South crown, relegating Houston to a road playoff game. With little to play for, Collins will get the week off. As Slater notes, this will also give the Texans a better look at their rookie wideouts, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Both players are now solid FLEX options for fantasy managers still setting lineups this week.

Higgins was the first player to find the end zone on Saturday. The rookie wide receiver took off on a post route, on 3rd-and-1 during the Texans’ opening drive, dusting Chargers CB Donte Jackson, sans safety help, as he broke inward. The Texans’ offensive line kept QB C.J. Stroud clean, giving Stroud time to plant and throw an accurate pass, hitting Higgins in stride as he pulled away from his coverage defender en route to a 75-yard score. Higgins is a viable FLEX starter in Week 18 against the Colts.