Jayden Higgins didn’t exactly sneak into the league under the radar, but few expected the rookie wideout to turn heads this early. And yet, here we are-just one season in, and Higgins is already drawing comparisons to one of the greatest receivers the NFL has ever seen. Not from fans caught up in the moment, but from someone who knows the grind of the position inside and out: five-time All-Pro Steve Smith Sr.
“He damn sure has those traits like a Larry Fitzgerald,” Smith said in a recent conversation with NFL insider James Palmer. “You just know when you're throwing him the football, snag it, high points the ball, does a great job.”
That’s not just high praise-it’s rare air. Fitzgerald wasn’t just a technician with elite hands; he was a culture-changer in Arizona, a cornerstone player who made contested catches look routine and brought a cerebral edge to the wide receiver position. For Smith to even mention Higgins in the same breath speaks volumes about what the rookie put on tape this season.
Palmer added another layer to the comparison, pointing out that the way people inside the Texans organization talk about Higgins mirrors how the Cardinals once described Fitzgerald during his early years. “He’s really coachable, he's got really good length to him, he's got route versatility inside and out,” Palmer said. “Understands space really well, has a good feel for where he's at on the football field.”
That spatial awareness and route versatility are key. It’s one thing to be a big-bodied receiver who can win jump balls, but Higgins is already showing signs of being more than just a physical mismatch. His ability to operate both outside and in the slot gives the Texans flexibility, and his feel for defensive coverages is only going to sharpen with more reps.
Interestingly, Higgins isn’t the only Texans wideout who’s been linked to Fitzgerald. Nico Collins, now one of the league’s more underrated stars, has also cited Fitzgerald as a player he modeled his game after.
That overlap in skillset raised a few eyebrows when Houston selected Higgins in the 2025 NFL Draft. Some wondered whether the team was doubling down on a similar prototype.
But if there’s any concern about redundancy, it hasn’t shown up on the field. Collins has been a force over the past three seasons, and Higgins made a strong impression as a rookie-especially down the stretch. His numbers don’t leap off the page at first glance, but they hint at something bigger brewing.
Jayden Higgins, Rookie Season:
- 41 receptions
- 525 yards
- 6 touchdowns
For context, here’s how Fitzgerald fared in his rookie campaign:
Larry Fitzgerald, Rookie Season:
- 58 receptions
- 780 yards
- 8 touchdowns
And in Year 2? Fitzgerald exploded for 103 catches, 1,409 yards, and 10 scores.
Now, no one’s saying Higgins is guaranteed to follow that exact trajectory. Fitzgerald is a future Hall of Famer for a reason.
But let’s play the projection game for a moment. If Higgins takes a similar step forward in Year 2, we’re looking at something like:
Projected 2026 Stats for Higgins (Fitzgerald-style leap):
- 74 receptions
- 945 yards
- 8 touchdowns
That kind of production would be a massive boost for a Texans offense that’s already loaded with potential. Nico Collins remains a top-tier threat, Tank Dell is set to return from injury, and Jaylin Noel has all the makings of a breakout candidate. If Higgins takes that next step, suddenly Houston’s receiving corps looks like one of the deepest and most dynamic in the league.
The Texans have built something quietly dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. And if Jayden Higgins becomes even a fraction of what Larry Fitzgerald was, Houston’s ceiling might be a lot higher than people think.