Packers Predicted to Land Iowa's Award Winning Defender in NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers are being predicted to land this Iowa Hawkeyes star defender in the NFL Draft.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins (34) celebrates a fumble recovery after forcing Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to lose the ball during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins may very well be one of the most intriguing defensive prospects in this year's NFL Draft.

Higgins is coming off of a fantastic 2024 campaign at Iowa in which he racked up 124 tackles, a sack, four interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery en route to winning the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacke of the Year award for the Big Ten.

While the 22-year-old is generally regarded as being somewhat limited in terms of his physical tools, he has an incredibly high motor and a terrific football IQ that should translate well onto the NFL level.

There is no question that Higgins will get drafted in April. The question is, where and by whom?

Well, Pro Football Network recently released its seven-round NFL mock draft, and it has Higgins being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round.

That seems a bit low for Higgins, who also rattled off 171 tackles, five tackles for loss and an interception in 2023.

However, because inside linebackers have largely been marginalized in an age that heavily features edge rushers and due to Higgins' perceived physical limitations, it's entirely possible that he doe fall that far in a few months.

The Packers could certainly use some depth at the linebacker position. They drafted Edgerrin Cooper to man the middle linebacker spot last year, and he impressed with 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 14 games, but they definitely could stand to add another piece.

We'll see if Higgins can potentially be a fit in Green Bay.