Jayden Higgins "Going To Have A Great Year"

By Jared Smola | Updated on Mon, Jun 8 2026 4:50 PM UTC

Texans WR Jayden Higgins is drawing praise from his coaches and Houston media for his work this offseason. HC Demeco Ryans said recently that Higgins is "going to have a great year." Insider Aaron Wilson, meanwhile, called Higgins a "standout" in spring practices. He's "lined up at multiple spots and shown upgraded timing and chemistry with [QB C.J.] Stroud. Higgins is noticeably more muscular and explosive, too," Wilson added.

What They're Saying

More from Ryans on Higgins: “Higgins has done an outstanding job. You see a physical difference. You see a stronger, more chiseled-out receiver. We step on the field, he’s playing faster. He’s playing stronger. He’s making all of the tough catches. He’s playing extremely fast. He’s taken advantage of his offseason, and he’s really improved in a ton of areas."

Higgins on what he's focused on this offseason: "First and foremost, working on my strength, working on my speed, my lateral movements, quickness, route running. This offseason I worked a lot on my intellectual phase, just making sure I’m understanding the concepts we’re running, making sure I’m understanding when the timing needs to be, where I need to be in a certain time. Doing those two things has really helped me a lot. Thinking back to last year, just the confidence that I built up has been crazy. Having the same offense, having the same guys around, it just allows me to go out there, play fast. I understand what I’m doing."

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

Higgins never really hit the fantasy radar as a rookie last year. But the underlying metrics were strong. Among 15 rookie WRs with 30+ targets, he ranked:

5th in targets per route
4th in yards per route
3rd in Pro Football Focus receiving grade

Higgins also closed his debut season strongly, scoring TDs in each of the Texans’ final two regular-season games and totaling 9 catches for 98 yards across 2 playoff games.

Nico Collins is locked in as the alpha in Houston's passing game, but there's a clear path for Higgins to be the No. 2 target. That gives him a shot at WR3 production this year.

For more on Higgins, check out our 2026 Sleepers article.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and in-season tools. He currently ranks ninth among 173 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.