New York Giants Draft Preview: SAF Jaden Hicks

Jaden Hicks has the skill set to help bolster the Giants' defensive backfield depth.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Apr 11, 2024

In this story:

Jaden Hicks

New York Giants

NFL Draft

Jaden Hicks, SAF

Height: 6’2
Weight: 211 lbs
Hands: 9 ⅜”
Arms: 31 ½”
Class: RS-Sophomore
School: Washington State
STATS

MEASUREMENTS

Vertical Jump: 37 ½”
Broad Jump: 10’2”
3-Cone: 6.88
20-yard shuttle: 4.37
Bench Press: 16 reps

A former three-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was the 6th ranked player from his state and the 93rd-ranked safety in the 2021 recruiting pool. He played cornerback at Bishop Gorman. Hicks’ senior season in high school was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he was named All-State First-Team as a junior after making 27 tackles, 10 passes defended, and seven interceptions, with three returning for a touchdown.

Hicks was redshirted in 2021 and was named Freshman All-American Third Team by College Football News in 2022. He appeared in all 13 games in 2022 and all 12 games in 2023, with a total of 1,538 defensive snaps through two seasons.

Strengths

* Long well-built frame - ideal size for a safety
* Immediate acceleration - glides as a mover
* Long strider with good overall speed
* Solid overall range in space when his stride is open
* Smart in zone coverage - sees through receiver to QB
* Active and aware robber
* Solid man covering defender on the vertical plane
* Wrestled football away from Ja’Lynn Polk vs. Washington (Q3, 14:25)
* Gets eyes and hands in the air in man coverage vs. slot fades
--Washington Q3, 14:25
--Arizona State Q1 6:05
--Colorado State Q4 6:39
--Arizona Q2 13:28 (2022)
* Good control/technique to get a hand on football at top speed
* A heavy hitter who COMMANDS respect
* A tone-setting player on defense
* Very good in run support
* Excellent play strength
* Harassing at catch point - good coverage
* Heat-seeking missile downhill and at the catch point
* Impressive drive through tackler in pursuit
* Excellent angles downhill - quick trigger downhill
* Controlled agility as a blitzer
* Immediate, aggressive, and dangerous as a blitzer
* Plays with a massive chip on his shoulder
* Versatile player - robber, near box/big-nickel
* Played CB in high school - still newer to the safety position
* Blocked FG vs. UCLA - special teams upside

[View more draft prospect scouting profiles.]

Weaknesses

* Not the smoothest when forced to decelerate and change direction
* Below-average fluidity and agility for post-safety
* 3-Cone time did not translate on tape
* Concerns about him manning up shiftier receivers in space
* Made a lot of tackles on the backside of defenders - hardly got a hold of them
* Allows too many ball carriers to evade him when square-to-target
* Better tackler in pursuit - is susceptible to juke moves when squaring
* Takes questionable angles vs. stagnant targets in front of him
* Lacks the athletic ability/COD skills to overcome the angles vs. more explosive offensive players
* Torched at LOS in press - COD is an issue
--CAL Q2 3:16 4th & 4

Summary

Jaden Hicks is a fun throwback safety with a PHYSICAL mentality with a heat-seeking missile ability to quickly punish receivers over the middle of the field - good luck to them (Wisconsin, Q4 4:27). He has the field vision to play quarters/palms and the coverage skills to man up on a big slot or tight end up the seam. He has more to his game than just a pure box presence or nickel-LB, but speedy slots could give him problems in man coverage, and his overall change of direction and agility is sub-average.

Hicks has serious acceleration and build-up speed that is enhanced by his long-striding and gliding nature. He does not do the best job framing his opponents when coming downhill and was too frequently juked out of his cleats. In pursuit, he typically made tackles near the top of shoulder pads due to sub-average angle judgment.

The post may be too much for Hicks to consistently handle, but he has the range to drop deep in a Cover-2. He does well rotating down into the box, and he’s an asset when tasked to blitz. His stiffness is a problem that impedes his upside, but he’s still a good young football player who will have highlight reel hits that will be discussed at the water cooler on Monday morning.

GRADE: 6.28