HEADLINES

Jayden Higgins

Texans, Second-Round WR Jayden Higgins Reach Fully Guaranteed Deal

May 9th, 2025 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a move that will force the hands of at least one other team, the Texans will make draft history. Houston is fully guaranteeing Jayden Higgins‘ second-round contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

The first part of the Texans’ all-Iowa State receiver mission on Day 2 will bring an important distinction into the NFL. Higgins will become the first second-round pick to see his contract fully guaranteed.

The Texans have been known to provide friendly guarantee structures to their second-round picks, thus moving the NFL forward on this front, and their move for a player chosen 34th overall effectively boxes the Browns in while likely complicating negotiations for teams that made mid-30s selections in last month’s draft. The Texans added Higgins after trading down from No. 25 (via the Giants).

Cleveland chose Carson Schwesinger at No. 33; Houston’s decision will lead to the former UCLA linebacker’s camp mandating a fully guaranteed contract. Higgins’ will be worth $11.7MM over four years. This draft slot brought a near-full guarantee in 2024, with $9.19MM of Ladd McConkey‘s $9.99MM rookie deal locked in at signing. Even last year’s No. 33 overall choice (Bills wideout Keon Coleman) did not quite secure fully guaranteed terms, but second-rounders have been making inroads on this front for years.

It took until the 2022 draft for all first-round contracts to become guaranteed, so it makes sense the NFL has seen its second-rounders land locked-in deals. The league has come a long way in terms of guaranteed percentage for second-rounders. When the rookie scale debuted in 2011, that year’s No. 33 overall pick (the Patriots’ Ras-I Dowling) saw just $2.36MM of his $5.3MM rookie contract guaranteed. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks (Nick Emmanwori) and Browns (Quinshon Judkins) move the full guarantee line beyond No. 34 this year.

Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel, who also signed his rookie contract (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), will become the rare college receiver duo to each join the same NFL team in a draft. The Cyclones relied on their Jayden-Jaylin tandem last season, and after the Texans could not swing a trade-up to reunite C.J. Stroud and Emeka Egbuka in Round 1, they focused on the Big 12 program’s passing attack the following night.

The No. 46 player on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Higgins broke through for 87 receptions, 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Standing 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Higgins will complement Noel’s slot skillset in Houston just as he did in Ames. The No. 79 overall pick, Noel (No. 50 on Jeremiah’s board) narrowly topped Higgins’ 2024 production by accumulating 1,194 yards last season — to go with eight TDs. Noel played four seasons at Iowa State, while Higgins transferred from Eastern Kentucky in 2023.

The Texans invested heavily at the receiver position after seeing Tank Dell suffer another major injury — this one threatening to sideline him throughout the 2025 season — and allowing Stefon Diggs to defect (to the Patriots) in free agency. Houston also lost complementary cog Robert Woods (to Pittsburgh). Even though it used a 2022 second-round pick on John Metchie, the team has not seen the Alabama product become a dependable piece yet. The ex-Cyclones will aim to become Nico Collins‘ top sidekicks this year.

Browns, Texans, Titans All Receiving Trade Interest At Top Of 2nd Round

April 25th, 2025 at 5:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns, Texans, and Titans, who hold the first three picks in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, have been receiving trade interest for their selections, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Teams trading up are expected to target wide receivers and edge rushers, per Schultz, with both position groups believed to have “tangible drop-offs” on Day 2. However, front offices in Cleveland, Houston, and Tennessee will have to weigh the value of trading back with the risk of missing their primary target.

The Browns are fielding calls for the 33rd pick, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. They also have the 36th pick as a result of their trade with the Jaguars, so they could trade back and still get one or both of their priority second-round targets. Those targets are Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson and LSU TE Mason Taylor, according to Wolfe and Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. If the Browns trade back, they may want to stay in front of the Jets, who would likely take Taylor at 42, according to Pauline.

The Browns have also done extensive work on Day 2 quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, and Tyler Shough, per Wolfe, though they may wait until their third-round selections at 67 or 94 to draft one.

The Texans and the Titans may be more concerned about trading back and losing out on their preferred player. Both teams are interested in taking a wide receiver with their second-round pick, per Pauline, with Tennessee potentially eyeing Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Missouri’s Luther Burden. Houston was also widely expected to use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman; after trading back with the Giants, they may still use their top 2025 selection to bolster their O-line.