NFL Draft Profile: Xavier Hutchinson, Wide Receiver, Iowa State Cyclones
#8
Pos: WR
Ht: 6017
Wt: 203
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3138
Wing: 7468
40: 4.53
DOB: 6/1/2000
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
High School: Bartram Trail
Eligibility: 2023
Xavier Hutchinson
Iowa State Cyclones
One Liner:
Hutchinson’s effort and attention to detail create separation and YAC opportunities, but he might find those opportunities harder to come by if he stays as an outside receiver in the NFL.
Evaluation:
Hutchinson has a unique blend of traits for his build. Among the larger receivers in the 2023 draft class, Hutchinson is one of the best at planting his foot in the ground and cutting or throwing in a quick juke after the catch. Despite his size, there’s some shiftiness to his game, which combines with his ability to break arm tackles to create a legitimate YAC threat. Hutchinson always appears slightly faster than the guy chasing him, even if he’s not that fast by NFL standards. He excels on short to intermediate routes but can stretch the field vertically. His size shows up in contested catch chances, allowing him to turn 50-50 jump balls into 60-40 opportunities in his favor. Hutchinson has excellent ball tracking skills and good vision to create after the catch. He has a quick release and a developed release package to handle various coverages. Hutchinson battles through contact early in the route. While his routes are usually clean, they’re sometimes rounded as he attempts to sink and change directions. He’s experienced playing in the slot and out wide. Hutchinson relies on his long strides and nuanced route running to generate separation, which can be an uphill battle against sticky corners. Hutchinson lacks the speed and acceleration to stack defensive backs and threaten secondaries vertically consistently. His ability to beat press coverage and separate is inconsistent. Hutchinson’s lean frame and poor form lead to issues sustaining blocks. He lacks significant special teams experience from his first two seasons at Iowa State. Hutchinson could kick inside and operate as a big slot receiver at the next level to mitigate some of the concerns about his NFL projection.
Grade:
4th Round
Quotes:
“He’s been phenomenal from day one until now. There’s been improvement week to week every season.” -- Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Manning on WR Xavier Hutchinson
“Down the field, screen game, all those kinds of things — ‘X’ is a guy that can kind of do it all. I think he’ll continue to be that kind of football player and he’s shown the ability to certainly do that over the last couple of years.” -- Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell on WR Xavier Hutchinson
Background:
Hutchinson was a three-star JUCO recruit from Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Fla. and (junior college) Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 76 JUCO recruit according to the 247Sports Composite board and No. 48 (four-star) for On3.com. Hutchinson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. Hutchinson was Third-Team All-State as a high school senior when he amassed 74 receptions for 1,004 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Hutchinson also played basketball in high school. In his final year at Blinn College, Hutchinson recorded 47 receptions for 652 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. The redshirt senior was the 2020 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and has earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2020 and 2021. Hutchinson holds the Iowa State single season record for receptions (83). He was born on June 1, 2000.
