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Phoenix49ers
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Gold helmet guy all the way. Outstanding character, leadership and work ethic. Stuck around at Iowa and progressed as a player, working all the way up from a fringe special teamer to a star player. Not a super athletic freak by any stretch of the imagination but he shares a lot of similarities with Hufanga in that he just has a nose for the football, seems to always know where the play is heading and finds a way to get himself involved.
Higgins is the kind of player that provides a boost as much with his leadership and understanding of the game as with his actual performance. Championship level player that every team could use more of. If nothing more I can easily see him being a beastly special teamer.
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49erKing
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Dude I just drafted this guy as well in my PFF mock. Also, WR Jayden Higgins :)
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OnTheClock
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Anyone that can cover and hit, I'm all for them being in our LB group.
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ChaunceyGardner
- Q46 Draft Winner
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I think this guy would be a great fit on the niners, especially with the defense run. Coverage linebacker or 3rd safety looks
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OnTheClock
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Iowa has so many ballers this year. Really hope we get one.
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Phoenix49ers
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Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Iowa has so many ballers this year. Really hope we get one.
Give me Higgins, Logan Jones, Xavier Nwankpa and Connor Colby, I'm not asking for too much.
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ChaunceyGardner
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"
2. Zone Coverage Excellence:
Higgins thrives in zone coverage, earning a nation-leading 93.9 PFF coverage grade in 2024 and a 90.8 grade in 2023 which lead Power Five linebackers. His elite eye discipline and understanding of defensive schemes enable him to excel, as evidenced by his four interceptions this season."
https://nflmocks.com/jay-higgins-lb-iowa-hawkeyes-2025-nfl-draft-scouting-report-01jft7rhny76
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jimrat
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I want this guy and his DC
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ChaunceyGardner
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His combine testing will keep him in the day 3 area, we could get lucky and grab him later
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49ers808
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Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
His combine testing will keep him in the day 3 area, we could get lucky and grab him later
Yup this could be our Deebo 5th pick
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Oilcan
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Grab him and Demetrius Knight Jr, if Dre leaves. That would be a good rebuild of the LB core.
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Phoenix49ers
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Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
His combine testing will keep him in the day 3 area, we could get lucky and grab him later
I said it earlier but if nothing else, I feel really strongly that he could be a monster on special teams. He has a real nose for the football and relishes contact. He'll drop down because of his #s but his actual on field performance was outstanding. He could be nice late round value.
Jay Higgins is known for his "relentless motor and good instincts, which allow him to be in the right spot more often than not". One of his weaknesses is he recorded one of the slowest 40-yard dash and 10-yard split (1.64 seconds) among the linebackers who tested at the NFL Combine. So his click-and-close ability may not transfer to the NFL." But again " J Higgins falls in the notorious conundrum's that all NFL teams regularly deal with Do you draft a Player that test higher and has better measurables than a Player that doesn't fall in the prerequisite averages in testing and sometimes preconceived measurables, But when you look at their production its hard to look away and not just believe your eyes!
One of those players is J Higgins he Has solid instincts as a run defender against traditional handoffs (non-option plays) to put himself in a position to take on blocks and beat offensive linemen to the spot. He does have good size Good size for a modern NFL linebacker.(Some players just don't have the size, And they fall off some Draft boards)
Physical and not afraid to come downhill and hit people, likes contact.
Enough strength to be solid at holding ground against offensive linemen
Jay Higgins is a well-decorated and highly productive linebacker. He is a two-time All-American and has racked up nearly 300 tackles over the last two seasons combined.
OVERALL
No FBS linebacker was more valuable than Jay Higgins last year according to wins above-average metric. He also led the nation with 108 plays where he made first contact on the ball carrier and paced all Power Five linebackers with a 90.8 coverage grade.
best as an inside linebacker in a zone-heavy scheme.
If he is there between 4th or 5th.is where he is projected. Could help us especially in our base defense. And he does have coverage skill's as well for a Thick but quick LB.