After excelling in football and basketball at his Florida high school, Jayden Higgins committed to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels from the United Athletic Conference, a collection of nine small colleges. He caught 58 passes for 757 yards and ten touchdowns in his sophomore year and opted to transfer to the larger Iowa State for his final two seasons.
Higgins quickly became a difference-maker as the lead receiver for both years, while sharing the limelight with fellow wideout Jaylin Noel last year. Noel has also declared for the NFL draft.
He was highly effective and logged five 100-yard performances last year and his personal best was 214 yards on nine catches at the 2023 Liberty Bowl. His first season saw him average 18.5 yards per catch. After two successful seasons with a top program, Higgins declared for the NFL draft.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 214 pounds
40 time: 4.47 seconds
Higgins was a standout at the NFL Combine. He had been an early Day 3 prospect initially, but he made a big case for being a Day 2 prospect by running a 4.47 40-time while 6-4 in height. He also had the largest hand size among the wide receivers. He also scored in the Senior Bowl to draw more attention. He has risen in the projections all spring and continues to gain momentum.
Jayden Higgins stats (2023-24)
Pros
- Versatile receiver that can play any position, but most likely settles into an X role, at least eventually
- Rare combination of speed and 6-4 frame
- Huge hands that almost never drop a pass
- Giant catch radius offers a hard-to-miss target
- Scoring machine inside the redzone
- Elite body control for such a tall player
Cons
- Needs more work on separating from NFL-quality cornerbacks
- Less adept at run blocking
- Could show more aggression in contested catches
- Long speed on average
- Would benefit from adding a little more bulk
Fantasy Outlook
Higgins was smart leaving Eastern Kentucky for the big lights of Iowa State. He’s made a name for himself in short order and while he has the speed/size ratio of a top receiver, he’s a very capable receiver that can succeed at all three levels of the defense. Even aside from his physical advantages, this is a playmaker who understands the position and offers precise routes and a huge target to his quarterback.
He’s a complete receiver who maximizes his strengths. He projects as an inside possession receiver who should eventually own the middle of the field on slants and crossing routes. He’s not likely to rely on vertical routes for his best impact but has only improved every year in college and more than handled top college defenses for the last two seasons.
While Higgins has plenty to offer any NFL team, he’s been linked to the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers. His Year 1 potential is heavily reliant on where he eventually lands, but Higgins carries the potential to become a No. 2 wideout and even a primary target if only in a year or two.
