Iowa Star Slapped With Shockingly Brutal NFL Comparison

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins has been all over the place in NFL Draft projections. Some have him pegged as a Day 2 pick, and others see him falling to the fifth round.

Higgins is definitely one of the more interesting defensive prospects in this upcoming draft class, as he possesses some incredible skills but also some very obvious physical drawbacks.

One thing is for sure, though: Higgins will definitely hear his name called this April. It's just a matter of when and where he will go.

Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team recently published a scouting report on the Iowa star with the draft inching closer and closer, and he provided Higgins with a rather rough NFL comparison: Shaun Dion Hamilton.

For reference, Hamilton played his collegiate football at Alabama and was selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He played three seasons in Washington, with his best year coming in 2019 when he logged 49 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Commanders then waived Hamilton after 2020, and he has not appeared in an NFL game since.

As a matter of fact, the Detroit Lions signed Hamilton in February 2021, but then released him shortly before the start of the ensuing season. No team has given him an opportunity since then.

Hamilton's smallish frame (six foot, 235 pounds) is probably why Higgins (6-foot-2, 231 pounds) was likened to the former Crimson Tide standout, but it still seems like a slap in the face for Higgins, who could ultimately develop into a very good inside linebacker on the NFL level.

The 23-year-old rattled off 124 tackles, a sack, four interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five passes defended in 2024 en route to winning the Butkus-Fitzgerald award for the Big Ten's best linebacker.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage