Finding Broncos: Scouting Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins

The rumor mill is flying. And one thing we keep hearing is that the Denver Broncos are on the hunt for a wide receiver.

One candidate is Iowa State's Jayden Higgins. What would he bring to the Broncos?

Let's examine his scouting report.

Biography

Higgins was born on December 15 and is 22 years old. He initially played college football for Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Iowa State after the 2022 season. In High School, he also played basketball, and it shows when you watch his tape. 

Size & Athleticism

At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Higgins is a tall receiver with a good build. He's also a good athlete for his size and can create many issues for opponents with his attributes. 

Key Statistic

Over four seasons, Higgins only dropped seven passes, while also catching 55.6% of his contested catches. His ball tracking is excellent, and he had 117 targets of 10-plus yards down the field, and never dropped one of them.

Higgins has a 6-foot-7 wingspan, which leads to an enormous catch radius. 

Pros

Higgins has the height, weight, and speed to be a threat and one of the best contested-catch receivers over the past few years. His ball-tracking skills are exceptional, and his hands are almost as reliable as they come. They're quick to attack the ball and soft to secure it in a natural motion.

There are some good movements in Higgins' routes to sell fakes. He knows how to use his size to protect the catch point, likely from his time playing basketball and going for rebounds. Higgins also knows how to use his size and strength to get separation when working through his routes. 

In addition, Higgins shows an excellent understanding of stacking defensive backs and sustaining leverage throughout his route. He knows the limits of what he can get away with and uses that, though he will still get called for some untimely penalties. 

Higgins illustrates that he knows how to read defenses and be effective against all kinds of coverages. He's reliable in every which way and set records at Iowa State, including seven games with a touchdown. 

Cons

While Higgins has improved his route-running, there is still much work to do, especially enhancing the nuances of his fakes and breaks. He has some limitations after the catch, where he has some wiggle but not a significant post-catch threat. Also, his ability as a depth receiver is lacking due to his limited exposure to special teams, which is a must at the NFL level. 

Another issue teams will have to work to develop with Higgins is his ability to get off press coverage at the line of scrimmage. There are too many instances of strong press corners giving Higgins fits and disrupting the flow of his route. Once he gets into his route, he can struggle to create separation, leading to many contested catch situations. 

With his height, Higgins can have issues sinking his hips into breaks, leading to more rounded breaks than clean snaps in his route. There are also some questions about his burst, so when he does make his breaks, can he put the pedal to the metal and create instant separation? Well, it's a good thing he excels in contested catch situations to make up for it. 

Fit with Broncos

If the Broncos want to start looking for a replacement for Courtland Sutton, while improving the room around him for Bo Nix, Higgins makes sense. The Cyclone is a big-body receiver who turns contested catches in his favor.

While many view Higgins as a boundary receiver, which he is, he could also contribute as that big slot Sean Payton loves to utilize.  

Draft Grade: Round 2