When the Houston Texans entered the offseason, they knew wide receiver would be a top priority.

Stefon Diggs was off to free agency after playing in just eight games. Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury and was expected to miss all of the upcoming season after requiring multiple surgeries.

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General manager Nick Caserio approached the pass-catcher position in three different ways: Find a promising player, bring in cheap veterans and draft future pieces. So Houston shipped off a seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Christian Kirk ahead of him being cut. They inked one-year contracts with Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios as depth pieces.

In the draft, the Texans used their first pick on Iowa State wideout Jayden Higgins, a 6-foot-4 playmaker fresh off an All-Big 12 season. As the draft continued, Jaylin Noel slipped deeper into the third round, thus making Houston pivot away from targeting offensive linemen and instead draft the slot Cyclone.

While neither player reached 1,000 yards, both Higgins and Noel caught the attention of the staff and scouting department. Caserio sees a bright future for both playmakers entering Year 2 under second-year play-caller Nick Caley and expects the duo to have expanded roles in the passing game.

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“Excited about their future,” Caserio said of Higgins and Noel. “I think Higgins showed he’s got a chance to be a really good player. He’s as productive as any of our offensive skill players over the last month or two of the season.

“J-Noel, you know, showed what he can do in the return game, probably get some more opportunities here offensively [next year]. But, I mean, two good football players.”

Higgins established himself as a strong counterpart to Pro Bowler Nico Collins and a solid No. 2 target for Caley’s passing game. He posted five games with five or more targets in the second half of the season and had four games with at least 50 receiving yards.

As for Noel, he served as the wide receiver No. 5 while also becoming a key factor on special teams. As the Texans’ main punt returner and kickoff return specialist, Noel averaged 27.6 yards per kickoff return and 10.8 yards per punt.

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“I think J-Noel kind of showed his kind of versatility…and when he played offensively, he made a lot of plays,” Caserio said. “I’m sure we’re going to see more J-Noel next year.”

Kirk, who exploded onto the field in the postseason, could leave in free agency, thus opening up a role for Noel. Houston is also expected to gain back Dell, who has been recovering and agressively attack his rehabilitation over the past several weeks.

Either way, Houston has two young playmakers ready for expanded reps in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans young WR duo ready to explode onto scene in 2026