Iowa Hawkeyes Star Rocketing Up NFL Draft Boards

This Iowa Hawkeyes star is suddenly making significant noise on NFL Draft boards.

Iowa's Jay Higgins (34) lines up against Iowa State during the Cy-Hawk game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson may be garnering the bulk of the attention heading into the NFL Draft, but Iowa does have another star player making the jump to the professional level: linebacker Jay Higgins.

Higgins is coming off of back-to-back spectacular campaigns with the Hawkeyes, and most recently, he won the Butkus-Fitzgerald award for Big Ten linebacker of the year.

In spite of his dominance over his last two collegiate seasons, Higgins was still viewed by many as a questionable NFL prospect due to his lack of size and his rather pedestrian athleticism.

However, the 22-year-old still has plenty of impressive attributes that could result in him turning into a productive player in the pros, and in Pro Football Network's recent seven-round mock draft, Higgins is actually projected to go to the Denver Broncos in the third round.

"Old-school thumper linebackers are becoming in style again," PFN wrote. "It helps that Jay Higgins has legitimate short-area range and cover instincts along with his physicality."

Some mock drafts have had Higgins going a couple of rounds later, so to see the Iowa standout now getting some recogntiion as a potential Day 2 pick is great to see.

Higgins arrived at Iowa City in 2020, but did not begin earning truly significant playing time until 2023 when he racked up 171 tackles, a couple of sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries.

Then, this past year, Higgins rattled off 124 tackles, a sack, four picks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five passes defended.

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