Why being drafted by Texans was ‘surreal’ for Iowa State duo

HOUSTON — A whirlwind of happiness spun through wideout Jayden Higgins moments after he was selected by the Houston Texans on Day 2 of the NFL draft last month.

Higgins, who was Houston’s first pick at No. 34 after the team traded away its first-round pick, spoke with the organization and local media soon after, and while on his couch gleefully letting it all soak in, he continued to watch the rest of the draft unfold — and began to wonder when his Iowa State teammate wideout Jaylin Noel would be taken.

As the Texans’ first of two third-round picks approached, Higgins thought, “Houston is going to get him.”

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Higgins nailed the prediction, and Houston selected Noel with the 79th pick. Minutes later, Noel received a call from Higgins to celebrate their feats.

“It was surreal, honestly,” Noel said. “The pick was in, my name got called and immediately I thought about Jayden. That is my guy; we have been playing together for the last two years. He called me, and we were just excited to be able to work with each other again and get to it.”

In 2024, Higgins and Noel combined for 2,377 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. They now join a Texans offense led by the Pro Bowl trio of quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back Joe Mixon and wideout Nico Collins.

The Texans didn’t enter the draft intentionally planning to reunite Higgins and Noel, but coach DeMeco Ryans knows the value it’ll bring for their rookie year.

“It’s very comforting for those guys,” Ryans said. “Being able to be drafted to the same team. It’s a unique situation for them, but I think both guys will benefit a lot from it. They have someone to lean on. A lot of times you get drafted and you go to a new city, in a situation where you’re trying to learn a lot of new things, learn new surroundings, and you’re trying to learn new people as well.

“I think they benefit from having each other. By having their brother from college to be with you throughout this process, it’s only going to help both of those guys and speed up their transition to the NFL.”

Starting with Day 1 of rookie minicamp, they stood side by side for most of practice. If Higgins would start the drill, Noel was right behind him. Whenever one wideout ran a crisp route, the other tried to emulate it with an enhanced touch. It’s rooted in friendly competition, a college routine that has traveled to the next stage with them.

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Jaylin Noel’s NFL draft profile

Check out stats from Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

Being on the same team also allows them keep their TikTok channel called “Jandjfishinn” — where they compete against each other in things like basketball and fishing.

“We’re really close,” Higgins said. “We always hang out, go fishing together, do things like that. We were roommates when we would travel and stuff like that. Jaylin is just a great guy. I hang out with him all the time.”

But at the root of it all, they will be pushing one another as they vow to “hold each other accountable.”

“We want to see the best come out of each other, and it keeps us going every day,” Noel said. “I am excited to see [us] compete with each other each day.”

With former Texans receiver Stefon Diggs joining the New England Patriots and Tank Dell’s status for the season in question (knee), there will be opportunities for the duo to make noise in the Texans’ wideout room.

There’s also an opportunity to earn starting minutes. But regardless of who gets the spotlight, Noel and Higgins know they’ll have a brother rooting them on from the sideline.