Battle Red Blog
Hint: It wasn’t a center or guard cause they didn't pick one...
For all the trading, shuffling up/down and other “excitement” out of the Houston Texans draft room, it’s hard to tell if they hit a home run in any of the rounds. Well, they definitely didn’t in the 1st, since general manager Nick Caserio traded back when the time came. However, lots of reasons exist to get excited about this draft class, even if none of them play interior offensive line.
Grade: A-
Round 2 (No. 34): WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Round 2 (No. 48): OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Round 3 (No. 79): WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Round 3 (No. 97): CB Jaylin Smith, USC
Round 4 (No. 116): RB Woody Marks, USC
Round 6 (No. 187): S Jaylen Reed, Penn State
Round 6 (No. 197): QB Graham Mertz, Florida
Round 7 (No. 224): DT Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers
Round 7 (No. 255): TE Luke Lachey, Iowa
Analysis:
The Texans did well to add two more Iowa State Cyclones to their receivers room, with Higgins and Noel joining former teammate Xavier Hutchinson to support C.J. Stroud. I thought they might take Ersery in the first round, so the trade up for him in Round 2 made sense to me, as did the swap that led to the acquisition of the versatile and tough Smith in Round 3.
Marks is not just a strong runner but can be another target for Stroud as a receiver. We’ll see if patience would have been wiser than giving up a third-round pick next year to move into Round 4 for him. Mertz has some positive attributes but was inconsistent and suffered injuries in college. Hamilton meets a need for young depth at tackle. Lachey lost a step due to injury but could prove to have been a steal in the seventh.
With the #34 overall pick, the Houston Texans selected Jayden Higgins, wide receiver from Iowa State. The 6’4” 214lbs receiver ran a 4.47 40 at the NFL combine. His 10-yard split, 1.53 seconds. 39” vertical jump, 10’ 8” broad jump. NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats had him as the 5th best receiver in the draft.
PFF.com gave Higgins a 90.3 overall grade in 2024. During his last season in the NCAA, he only had 2 drops, forced 12 missed tackles, had 8 deep catches, completed 14 contested catches, gained 229 yards on deep routes, 364 from the slot and 20 via screen pass.
Higgins was one of the few receivers at the top of this draft class with ideal ‘X’ receiver size at 6’4” and 215 pounds, and he added to that physical profile with strong testing across the board at the NFL Combine. He profiles as a reliable possession receiver who dropped just three of...
