Jaguars Draft: What Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins Could Bring To Table

As the Jacksonville Jaguars head into the offseason, a new position of need has emerged. General manager James Gladstone began to unload some assets on the roster by trading slot receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans for a future seventh-round draft choice and releasing Devin Duvernay and Josh Reynolds to clear some cap space ahead of free agency.

While the top two receivers behind rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. are Gabe Davis and Parker Washington for the moment, adding another playmaker opposite of the offensive rookie of the year runner-up should be a priority for Jacksonville. It would be wise for Gladstone to look toward the NFL Draft, specifically with a certain WR prospect in the Big 12.

Iowa State Cyclones WR Jayden Higgins is currently a consensus Day Two prospect who has emerged as a fan favorite in the draft community. This is a productive playmaker who has tallied 140 receptions, 2,166 yards, and 15 touchdowns for his career in Ames, becoming an All-Big 12 wideout and third-team All-American in his senior season as a former Eastern Kentucky transfer.

Let's take a look to see what Higgins offers as a prospect and how he could fit with the Jaguars.

Strengths

It's impressive to watch a player who is 6-foot-3, 217 pounds to move as smoothly as he does. This allows him to be an effective route runner on all three levels along with ample body control that keeps him settled at the top of route stems.

Higgins has a good understanding of route landmarks and how to attack leverage against zone defenders. The Cyclones allowed him to run an expansive route tree that allowed him to win on every level of the field. Speaking of this, because of his frame and length, Higgins is a fearless and effective middle-of-the-field target who gives his passer confidence to test this area of the field.

Jayden Higgins | WR | ISU

Silky smooth mover w/ a massive frame at WR. Shows great route salesmanship when stemming routes & the fluidity to snap off breaks. Comfortable working in MoF traffic as well making contested catches along the SL. Body control and ball tracking are +++ pic.twitter.com/vd3qkHUptf
— Matt Lane (@Matty_KCSN) February 28, 2025

At the catch point, Higgins is fairly reliable with some impressive flashes of contested wins and rarely suffers from drops. One of the more impressive things about Higgins is how quick he is in the open field against defenders along with adequate change of direction. His long speed is good enough to be effective on downfield throws.

On top of all of this, Higgins is a physical and willing blocker in the run game, something that many people will overlook in terms of his potential value for teams that desire these types of players.

Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins is a big bodied wideout who thrives in downfield, contested situations but came away especially impressed w/his tracking and short-area route running. Deceptive route runner who is smooth for his size. Senior Bowl invitee too. pic.twitter.com/UrFO3O3uJz
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) November 27, 2024

Weaknesses

While Higgins is an impressive player on the field, there are still some kinks in the armor that must be addressed. While he did run a solid 4.47 second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, his general long-speed on vertical planes is a question mark when it comes to creating consistent downfield separation.

There are moments on film when Higgins can get passive as a pass-catcher and allow defenders into his frame. His routes will also drift from time to time. At the line of scrimmage, he must improve his overall consistency beating physical press-defenders as his packages weren't effective or his footwork was hit or miss.

How Higgins fits with the Jacksonville Jaguars

This is a better version of the current Gabe Davis. Higgins is effective at the catch point and has shown flashes of being an alignment versatile and reliable receiver on the perimeter as the Z. If the Jaguars were to select him, Higgins could quickly increase his role but may be limited to being a big slot playmaker as he works to improve his releases.

Overall, Higgins would be a fit in head coach Liam Coen's offense where being an effective blocker out of 11 personnel is critical. This should be a Round Two or early Round Three receiver to target in this year's draft.

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