HOUSTON – Texans rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins signed the first fully guaranteed second-round contract in NFL history, setting a precedent with a $11,700,824 contract.
The contract includes a $5.149 million signing bonus and is fully guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap. Traditionally, only first-round contracts have been fully guaranteed. Now, Texans general manager Nick Caserio has set a new negotiating milestone with this deal for Higgins.
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Higgins was drafted with the 34th overall pick, one selection into the second round, out of Iowa State.
He is represented by Chris Cabott, the CEO of Equity Sports.
Higgins is an imposing downfield target at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds who has the ability to win contested catches and has drawn comparisons to Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins, who has similar stature and is roughly eight pounds heavier than his new teammate.
“Just a big target, I know a lot of people say very similar to Nico and what he’s able to do,” Caserio said. “But you get a receiver of his stature and with his catch radius, just opens up a lot of things for us offensively that I know all of our guys are excited about.”
With his size, the Miami, Fla., native has a major advantage with his superior catch radius.
“He’s one of the best I’ve been around, and that’s where you gotta have a little bit of confidence to you,” Iowa State receivers coach and passing game coordinator Noah Pauley told KPRC 2 in a telephone interview. “Jayden has this mindset where whether he’s playing the slot or playing outside that he’s gonna find a way to get open and go make the play and he consistently did that for us.”
Higgins has the speed to create separation with a 4.47 time in the 40-yard dash and a 1.53 10-yard split. He has serious hops with a 39-inch vertical leap and a 10-8 broad jump.
A transfer from Eastern Kentucky who wanted to compete at a higher level, Higgins was a third-team All-American last season and a second-team All-Big 12 selection. He caught 87 passes for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns.
His first season at Iowa State, Higgins caught 53 passes for 983 yards and six touchdowns.
At Eastern Kentucky, he caught 13 touchdowns in two seasons, including 10 scores in 2022 on 58 catches for 757 yards.
He’s much larger than the defensive backs tasked with covering him.
His wingspan is over 6-foot-7.
He is still adding more polish to his route-running and refining his overall technique, but his upside is, like his body, regarded as huge.
“I just knew he was going to be a high-end pick and whatever team that got him was going be extremely pleased because of obviously what he brings on the football field,” Pauley said. “Just how he carries himself off the field and how he prepares himself week in and week out and how he just he always plays and does everything with a chip on his shoulder.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
