Iowa Hawkeyes Star Receives Huge NFL Draft Comparison

This Iowa Hawkeyes star has landed a very big comparison heading into the NFL Draft.

Iowa Hawkeye’s Jay Higgins runs during the team’s practice at Ensworth School in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. | Nicole Hester / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes will have multiple players that will find NFL homes in April, but the two biggest names are definitely running back Kaleb Johnson and linebacker Jay Higgins.

Johnson has shot up draft boards this year and is now projected to be a Day 2 pick, which is in stark contrast to where he found himself heading into 2024.

Then there is Higgins, who just completed a fantastic career at Iowa but doesn't exactly have physical tools to wow NFL scouts.

Still, Higgins is definitely going to get drafted. It's just a matter of where, and while John Blair of NFL Mocks projects him to be in the neighborhood of a fifth-round pick, he has provided him with a very intriguing NFL comparison: former Hawkeyes linebacker Josey Jewell.

"Higgins currently holds a fifth-round draft grade on NFL Draft Notebook’s board, primarily due to his lack of elite physical traits," Blair wrote. "However, his instincts, leadership, and consistent production suggest he can develop into a quality linebacker at the professional level. A fitting NFL comparison is former Iowa standout Josey Jewell, who has become a reliable contributor and is on pace for his third consecutive 100-tackle season."

Higgins racked up 124 tackles, a sack, four interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five passes defended this season, winning the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award in the process.

The 22-year-old began making a name for himself in 2023, when he rattled off 171 tackles, a pair of sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Whoever lands him in the spring may be getting a steal.