Grading the Texans' Draft
Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa State wideout Jayden Higgins (WO18) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Grade: B+
Best Pick: Jayden Higgins, No. 24 Overall
What We Liked: The Texans kicked off the draft incredibly well, getting the dynamic wide receiver from Iowa State and Aireontae Ersery, two players who could immediately earn starting time on the Texans and will help return Stroud to rookie form. Jaylen Reed is also a sneaky good safety pick on Day 3 who picked up a lot of responsibilities after Kevin Winston Jr. got injured. Also, from a comic standpoint, I like that the Texans picked three Jaylin variations and a Jayden.
Not Sure About: The two USC players, Jaylin Smith and Woody Marks, were a bit overdrafted, with Marks being traded up for with crazy levels of capital. I don't see either of them getting many early reps, even Woody, who I'm not sure is ready for primetime yet. It feels like the offensive line needed to be fortified a bit more since Stroud was running for his life a lot of the year. The Texans' shift toward more weapons feels like they misunderstood the issue.
--Dean Bruce, special to Field Level Media
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