Texans second-round pick out lands historical rookie deal

The first a part of the Texans’ all-Iowa State receiver venture on Day 2 will deliver crucial difference into the NFL. Higgins will transform the primary second-round pick out to look his contract absolutely assured.

The Texans had been identified to supply pleasant ensure constructions to their second-round selections, thus shifting the NFL ahead in this entrance, and their transfer for a participant selected 34th total successfully bins the Browns in whilst most likely complicating negotiations for groups that made mid-30s picks in ultimate month’s draft. The Texans added Higgins after buying and selling down from No. 25 (by way of the Giants).

Cleveland selected Carson Schwesinger
at No. 33; Houston’s resolution will result in the previous UCLA linebacker’s camp mandating a completely assured contract. Higgins’ will likely be price $11.7M over 4 years. This draft slot introduced a near-full ensure in 2024, with $9.19M of Ladd McConkey‘s $9.99M rookie deal locked in at signing. Even last year’s No. 33 total selection (Bills wideout Keon Coleman) didn’t relatively safe absolutely assured phrases, however second-rounders had been making inroads in this entrance for years.

It took till the 2022 draft for all first-round contracts to transform assured, so it is sensible the NFL has noticed its second-rounders land locked-in offers. The league has come a ways on the subject of assured share for second-rounders. When the rookie scale debuted in 2011, that 12 months’s No. 33 total pick out (the Patriots’ Ras-I Dowling) noticed simply $2.36M of his $5.3M rookie contract assured. It will likely be fascinating to look if the Seahawks (Nick Emmanwori) and Browns (Quinshon Judkins) transfer the whole ensure line past No. 34 this 12 months.

Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel, who additionally signed his rookie contract (consistent with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), will transform the uncommon faculty receiver duo to every sign up for the similar NFL group in a draft. The Cyclones depended on their Jayden-Jaylin tandem ultimate season, and after the Texans may just now not swing a trade-up to reunite
C.J. Stroud and Emeka Egbuka in Round 1, they centered at the Big 12 program’s passing assault the next night time.

The No. 46 participant on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com large board, Higgins broke thru for 87 receptions, 1,183 yards and 9 touchdowns ultimate season. Standing 6-foot-4 and 214 kilos, Higgins will supplement Noel’s slot skillset in Houston simply as he did in Ames. The No. 79 total pick out, Noel (No. 50 on Jeremiah’s board) narrowly crowned Higgins’ 2024 manufacturing through amassing 1,194 yards ultimate season — to move with 8 TDs. Noel performed 4 seasons at Iowa State, whilst Higgins transferred from Eastern Kentucky in 2023.

The Texans invested closely on the receiver place after seeing Tank Dell undergo any other main harm — this one threatening to sideline him during the 2025 season — and permitting Stefon Diggs to defect (to the Patriots) in loose company. Houston additionally misplaced complementary cog Robert Woods (to Pittsburgh). Even despite the fact that it used a 2022 second-round pick out on John Metchie, the group has now not noticed the Alabama product transform a unswerving piece but. The ex-Cyclones will goal to transform Nico Collins‘ most sensible sidekicks this 12 months.