Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Jayden Higgins

Tuesday, July 29, 2:50 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris "kept things a bit open-ended" about the availability of wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) for the start of the regular season, according to Tori McElhaney of Fox 5 Sports. Mooney exited the team's practice on Friday with a shoulder injury he suffered while attempting a diving catch and is expected to be re-evaluated in a few weeks. It's worrying news for the 27-year-old, who was highly productive in his first season with the Falcons in 2024. Mooney played 16 games last season, recording 64 receptions for 992 yards and four touchdowns. Atlanta is thin at wide receiver behind Mooney and Drake London, with Ray-Ray McCloud III, KhaDarel Hodge, and newly-signed DJ Chark the top candidates to get more playing time in Mooney's absence. Tight end Kyle Pitts could also be a beneficiary, as he lost targets last season due to Mooney's emergence.

Tuesday, July 15, 3:29 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins was selected with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after an outstanding collegiate season at Iowa State. As a senior, he tallied 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns despite sharing the field with Texans third-round pick Jaylin Noel. Texans reporter Mike Jones of The Athletic believes Higgins could be the team's breakout player in 2025. "The 6-foot-4, 214-pound receiver out of Iowa State brings size, athleticism, and speed," Jones said. "Lining up along with Nico Collins and new veteran addition Christian Kirk, Higgins should receive plenty of opportunities to help the Texans. He can win 50-50 balls, gets good separation, and should make a name for himself in Houston this season." While competing for targets with Collins is not ideal, Stroud has shown the ability to support multiple fantasy-relevant pass-catchers in the past, and the Jaguars being willing to send Kirk to a division rival for pennies on the dollar isn't exactly a screaming endorsement for Kirk. At Higgins' WR50-55 price tag in preseason drafts, he presents intriguing upside, especially since Kirk and Collins have missed a combined 21 games over the last two seasons.