The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone and Houston Texans fans have to be feeling pretty good about how their draft played out. One of the biggest needs for the Texans entering the draft was wide receiver, as Tank Dell is going to miss the majority (if not all) of the 2025 season and Stefon Diggs is calling New England home now.
Well, the Texans not only addressed their wide receiver need, they doubled-down and added two players at the position on Day 2. Houston added two talented receivers from Iowa State in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, keeping the two together from their days in Ames and giving C.J. Stroud two electrifying weapons.
This, however, is not good news for the recently signed free agent Justin Watson, who joined the team in March. No one really had high expectations for Watson to come in and light it up for the Texans but he was signed to bolster the wide receiver room and now, he might not even get that chance.
Texans' selections of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel put Justin Watson on the hot seat
Watson might not have been expected to be a superstar in Houston but the guy has had quite the career thus far. He started his career as a fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2018 and was on their Super Bowl-winning roster in 2020. After that, he joined the Chiefs and won two more Super Bowls with them, giving him three for his career. Most guys would dream of having that kind of success.
That being said, Watson did move on from Kansas City in the offseason, likely hoping for a bigger role with his new team. That opportunity might not come for him in Houston now that Higgins and Noel are on the roster. The two combined for over 2,300 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Cyclones in 2024 and are going to be favorites for Stroud to target.
Watson was never going to be a key player for Houston but now he has his work cut out for him even more. Will he still be able to prove himself and make the roster or will he be searching for another NFL home by the time the regular season gets underway?