New York Giants Draft Prospect: LB Jay Higgins, Iowa

Higgins is a two-time captain who has been favorably compared to a productive NFL linebacker who has three 100+ tackle seasons in his career.
Iowa Hawkeye’s Jay Higgins runs during the team’s practice at Ensworth School in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.
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
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John Blair of NFL Mocks has compared Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins to current Carolina veteran linebacker Josey Jewell, who has had three seasons with 100+ tackles.

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 Jay Higgins, LB

  • Height: 6’2
  • Weight: 232 lbs
  • Class: 5th-Year Senior
  • School: Iowa
  • Stats

A former three-star recruit out of Brebeuf Jesuit High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the 17th-ranked player in his state and the 63rd-graded inside linebacker in the 2020 class.

Higgins started the last two seasons at Iowa and recorded under 300 total tackles during that span. In the illustrious history of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Higgins ranks 17th in tackles.  

Higgins had 35 pressures in his career with a 9.3% missed tackle rate. He also recorded 117 STOPs in his two seasons as a starter. He was a Butkus, Bednarik, and Lombardi Award semifinalist, as well as a Lott IMPACT trophy semifinalist in 2024.

He earned FWAA, Phil Steele, and Sports Illustrated First Team All-American honors in 2023. Higgins will be in attendance at the East-West Shrine Game.

Strengths

  • Solid overall athlete with a solid thick build
  • An urgent mover who maneuvers with a purpose
  • Solid acceleration and short area quickness to close width
  • Quick feet and explosiveness allow him to trigger downhill in a hurry
  • Very good overall run defender
  • Identifies and understands how to leverage responsibility
  • Strong hands and stack & shed ability 
  • Good bend to dip around blockers when square with good recollection and location skills
  • Packs a heavy punch on contact – physical!
  • Great technique in the box and getting outside 
  • Takes solid angles of attack
  • Stays square to target with good tackling fundamentals – wraps up and secures
  • Very intelligent in the box – does well vs. RB in Cat & Mouse game
  • Very good in coverage with elite eyes
  • Zone discipline and ability to undercut backside routes (See Iowa State, 2024)
  • Solid spatial awareness – effective shallow zone defender in zone
  • Defensive communicator – excellent play recognition 
  • Elite competitive toughness – flies around the field 
  • Has over 500 special teams snaps 
Iowa's Jay Higgins
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

Weaknesses

  • More motor based than athletically gifted
  • Lack of athletic gifts could hurt his ability to consistently start at the next level 
  • Feet have some weight to them
  • Not overly fluid in space – changing direction is suboptimal
  • Struggled to consistently defeat angled blocks if he failed to quickly diagnose 
  • Found himself out-leverage due to false steps through missed anticipation  
  • Man coverage could pose an issue at the next level 
  • May be liability in sub-package when carrying No. 3 up seam

Summary

Jay Higgins is a hustle-based linebacker who can get outside the numbers to make tackles but lacks the difference-making physical traits to consistently threaten offenses sideline-to-sideline. He’s not overly fluid in space, nor is he the best at changing direction, but he’s an incredibly smart and focused linebacker who does well to position himself to leverage his run fit. 

He possesses excellent eyes and a good ability to use his hands to avoid contact, especially when he’s square to the line of scrimmage.

Higgins does well to stay square to his target – maneuvering well through trash – and finding the ball carrier before delivering a heavy hit. His quick trigger and anticipatory skills challenge the RB and cause indecision near the LOS. 

He had a knack for finding the football in shallow zones and displayed good overall spatial awareness, yet his athletic struggles could hinder his ability in man coverage and that could pose a problem at the next level depending on his landing spot. 

Overall, Higgins has the floor of a special teams asset with elite intangibles, but his ceiling is capped due to a lack of elite athletic ability. His play style is infectious, as he runs around the field like the energizer bunny. He could still find his way into a starting lineup in the right system.

GRADE: 6.12


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Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart / Nick Falato

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Nick Falato
NICK FALATO

Nick Falato is co-host of the Big Blue Banter podcast. In addition to Giants Country, his work has appeared on SB Nation.