Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins comes as the next in a long line of big, long, and athletic wide receivers from the Cyclone’s offense. Could he be the first to find some legitimate NFL footing? What does his scouting report have to say about his potential?
Jayden Higgins Profile and Measurements
Height: 6036
Weight: 217
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Iowa State
Current Year: Senior
Jayden Higgins Scouting Report
Strengths
- Great length with NFL density
- Silky hitch route runner who threatens blind spots quickly
- Impressively manipulative along the route stem
- Attacks blind spots
- Steps on defensive backs’ toes
- Varies aiming points to out-leverage defenders on in- and out-breaking routes
- Strong spatial and timeline awareness to sell double moves
- Well-deployed pace changes to lull defensive backs into sleep
- Lean and drive on in- and out-breaking routes consistently creates separation
- Easily bends in and out of 0-90 degree turns in high gear
- Incredibly impressive drop rate throughout career
- Secondary release package is seemingly endless
- Life playing in the Big 12 means playing CBs at 8+ yards
- Eyes and shoulders lie easily against press and in low red zone
- Finishes well through contact
- Length, grip strength, and desire on the edge as a blocker
- Makes himself a VERY small target at LOS when used in short motion
Weaknesses
- Must upgrade brake package
- Fluidity does not translate to breaking back to the ball with intention
- Ankles and hips only flexible to 90 degrees
- Labors through inefficient footwork on stopping routes from high gear
- Full arm extension push-off when space is tight
- Must learn better technique for creating separation with a shove
- Iowa State offense utilizes a ton of four-strong looks to isolate him weakside in 1v1 situations and acres of open grass
- Lacks explosiveness and speed to consistently threaten talented DBs vertically
- Mello Dotson wasn’t scared (led to pick-six)
- Jacob Parrish shoved him into a locker
- Catch radius doesn’t always match anatomical length
- A bit tight-armed
- Strong contested results on paper but doesn’t attack football like a true 50/50 winner
- Fewer true man-coverage wins than you’d like to see against more talented competition
Summary and Draft Projection
Every year at least one mid-round darling shows up in the NFL Draft world. Higgins is the 2025 class’s big-name “value” pick at wide receiver. On the surface, it’s incredibly easy to see why draftniks adore him.
Higgins possesses prototypical length and frame density for an “X” receiver at the NFL level. But his calling card is actually his fluidity and manipulative predisposition on intermediate routes that has elevated his standing in the class. Despite being nearly 220 pounds, the Cyclones wide receiver separates well at the college level through fluidity and deception.
The other reason why draftniks love him is the sheer diversity of his route tree. Iowa State’s offense mimicked that of a 14-year-old quarterback’s iPad. They seemingly drew random lines and shapes for Higgins to try when isolated on the backside of 4×1 sets. He’s a naturally deceptive double-move receiver, and some of his secondary releases force off defenders into the spin cycle.
What could legitimately get him on the field early in his NFL career is his blocking ability. Higgins adequately uses his length to win leverage battles against shorter-armed defensive backs. Additionally, his hands remain active and he understands how to use a defender’s momentum against them while also not keeping ahold of too much jersey to attract zebra attention.
However, a lot of his production comes from free-release slants against off coverage as the solo in 4×1 sets and finding soft spots in zone coverage. His releases challenge most Big 12 cornerbacks, but not everyone was fooled. Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish and the Kansas duo of Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson weren’t amused.
Although fluid, Higgins lacks the explosiveness to consistently threaten on the vertical plane. This allows confident defensive backs with NFL-level reactive athleticism to crowd the long-limbed receiver. Without an adequate vertical threat that horizontally fluidity can only take him so far against competent NFL cornerbacks.
It’s particularly problematic because his footwork is inefficient coming back to the football. There is a lot of wasted motion while trying to gear down and drive back to the football. While he can technically improve this area, it appears his hip and ankle flexibility might have a fall-off point at anything past 90 degrees.
Higgins must improve his ability to shield and maximize his anatomical length to finish crowded catches. There will be far less separation at the next level, and although his length is partially his trump card, he must more consistently maximize said reach to finish catches instead of letting it get further into his frame.
This story also feels oddly familiar. Denzel Mims was long, fluid, and very, very fast. The tape showed it, the numbers backed it up, and even NFL.com’s scouting report raved about him as a route runner.
Above-average combination of size and speed. Stair-steps and leverages corners out of in-breaking routes. Cushion chewer with some of the longest strides in the draft. Build-up speed allows him to bypass and stack coverage. Has a fluid stutter-go move to thwart route jumpers.
Effective locating and adjusting to the throw. Fluent ball-snatcher above the rim. Focus sharpens on 50-50 throws. Full-body extension offers vast catch radius. Can reach back and snare back-hip throws without breaking stride. In-route jab steps and speed variations can be molded.
Hakeem Butler was the draft darling of the 2019 NFL Draft class. At 6-foot-5 and nearly 230 pounds, Butler, too, had a horizontal fluidity that made tape grinders fall in love. He also had a 98th-percentile wingspan, 99th-percentile arm length, and 98th-percentile hands. Butler even ran a 4.48! He amassed one NFL target.
The point is not to say that Higgins will be a failure at the NFL level. The point is not to let measurables get in the way of important historical context surrounding similar players. Mims and Butler were both more physically dominant players receiving this same sort of pre-draft love.
But if we call Higgins correctly and don’t let the hype get out of hand, he can be what he is—the late Day 2, early Day 3 wide receiver that we can all squint and see turn into an NFL star because we value the flashy things he excels at as a route runner. We just shouldn’t be surprised if he never materialized, either.
