2025 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Jayden Higgins

Information Age: 22 years, 130 days

School(s): Eastern Kentucky, Iowa State

Career Stats: 227 receptions, 3317 receiving yards, 14.6 yards/reception, 28 receiving TD's.

Measurables & Combine Info

HT: 6040

LBS: 214

Arm: 33 1/8"

Hand: 9 1/8"

40: 4.47 sec

10 yd split: 1.53 sec

Vertical: 39" Broad Jump: 10'8"

3 cone: Not attempted

Shuttle: Not attempted

Bench Press: Not attempted

Film watched: vs ASU, @ KU, vs UCF

Strengths

• Separates well on inside releases

• Good ball-tracking skills

• Strong hands despite hands being smaller than average WR

• Locates openings in the middle of the field well

• Strong runner after the catch

• Adjusts well to poorly thrown passes

• Decent twitch for someone his size

• Size allows him to be an effective threat on back-shoulder passes

Weaknesses

• Tends to round out routes instead of making sharp cuts

• Ineffective outside release that lacks creativity

• Effort level on release can sometimes telegraph whether it is a run or a pass

• Uses his body too dramatically on feints at the top of the route

• Struggles to get defenders to bite on fakes, which results in a lack of separation

• Stutter-steps too heavily at the top of the route

• Uninspiring as a blocker

• Frequently inactive when play breaks down

• Relies on the basket-catch too frequently

• Struggles handling contact at the top of the route

• Tends to run sideways after the catch which does not often translate well at the next level with above-league-average athleticism which he does not have.

• Small hands

Conclusion

I came away from this film study disappointed compared to what I was expecting coming in. I am not saying Higgins can't be an effective receiver in the NFL at any point, but his limitations and the amount of them that may be difficult to "coach out of him" or hidden on the field would concern me as a GM. Giving up on broken plays or barely showing any effort blocking for a run is something I saw more than once in each game I watched, and for him to be successful he has to be put in a position that is tailored specifically for him. I can see him being a strong red zone threat and used in third-and-long situations or against teams that run two-high safety coverage at a high rate (leaves the middle of the field exposed) but at the other end of the spectrum, he will likely struggle against strong corners and single-high coverage. The consensus around Higgins seems to be that he is a mid-2nd to early-third round pick, but I have him lower.

Grade: Mid-late 3rd/Early 4th Round