One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft is Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins. He is a 6’4”, 214-pound wide receiver and is viewed as one of the top wide receivers in the entire draft. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, has Higgins graded as his 48th overall prospect in the draft and has him ranked as the fifth-best wide receiver prospect in this draft class.
Higgins played a total of two seasons at Iowa State and is coming off two very productive seasons for them. During his two seasons at Iowa State, he played in 26 games and totaled 140 receptions for 2,166 yards and 15 touchdown receptions. This past year, he played in 13 games and totaled 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and 9 touchdown receptions.
Player Profile
Jayden Higgins | Wide Receiver | Iowa State
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 214 pounds
Hands: 9 1/8 inches
Arm Length: 33 1/8 inches
Age: 22 years old
40-Yard Dash: 4.47 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.53 seconds
Vertical Jump: 39 inches
Broad Jump: 10’8”
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
Big-bodied wide receiver with good size and length
Long arms and incredible wingspan/catch radius
Crisp route runner and among the best in the class in that area
Developed route tree
Really good body control and is able to adjust to make difficult catches
Tracks the ball well in the air
Made a lot of his plays in the middle of the field
Reliable pass-catcher who rarely drops the ball
Uses his size and strength to compete for the ball
Effective as a run-blocker
Inside/outside player
Weaknesses
He is not the most explosive player and lacks long speed
YAC potential is limited at best
Not as physical as you would expect him to be
Jayden Higgins RAS
What other analysts are saying about Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on WR Jayden Higgins
Big inside/outside wideout with modest athletic attributes but outstanding ball skills that make him a projectable NFL prospect. Higgins needs a more limited route tree but can operate on all three levels in the right scheme. He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength. He has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.
Final Thoughts
I really like Jayden Higgins and he is one of my favorite wide receiver prospects in the draft, but does he make sense for the Broncos?
He has good size, really good route runner, works the middle of the field, has reliable hands, and potential to be a really good run blocker. That’s the type of profile that head coach Sean Payton seems to look for in his wide receivers. I believe Higgins has the potential to come in and start right away and could be a nice target for quarterback Bo Nix.
However, the Broncos already have Devaughn Vele, who checks all those boxes and has already produced for Payton last season during his rookie year. How Payton feels about Vele will be important and will impact what the Broncos do in the draft. They have not added a wide receiver as of yet so we’ll see if that continues throughout the draft.
Higgins is projected to go late first round at the earliest to sometime on day two of the draft. I believe 20th overall is a bit too rich for Higgins, but he probably will not be there by the time they’re on the clock in the second round. If he is, however, it’ll be interesting to see if the Broncos decide to draft him and improve their wide receiving room moving forward.
Poll
If available, would you like the Broncos to draft Jayden Higgins in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft?
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