The New England Patriots did spend some of their vast free agency resources at wide receiver, bringing in veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins to bolster a group that largely underperformed in 2024. They may not be done adding players to the mix, though.
With the draft coming up, the Patriots very much appear to be in the market for more receiver help. If that is indeed the case, there are several suitable players available including one of the most athletically-intriguing wideouts available: projected Day 2 pick Jayden Higgins out of Iowa State.
Hard facts
Name: Jayden Higgins
Position: Wide receiver
School: Iowa State
Opening day age: 22 (12/15/2002)
Measurements: 6’4 1/8”, 214 lbs, 80” wingspan, 33 1/8” arm length, 9 1/8” hand size, 4.47s 40-yard dash, 7.05s 3-cone drill, 4.28s short shuttle, 39” vertical jump, 10’8” broad jump, 16 bench press reps, 9.63 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Colleges: Eastern Kentucky (2021-22), Iowa State (2023-24)
Accolades: Third-team All-American (2024), Second-team All-Big 12 (2024), Honorable mention All-Big 12 (2023), First-team All-ASUN (2022)
Playing both football and basketball during his high school career in the Miami metro area, Higgins generated little buzz as a two-star recruit. He ended up joining Eastern Kentucky, where he spent two seasons and caught 87 passes for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns in 22 games with 18 starts. His success with the Colonels prompted him to enter the transfer portal in hopes of finally getting some love from FBS schools.
That did indeed happen, and he ended up choosing Iowa State over other offers including Minnesota, Northwestern or Troy. Over his two years at the school, Higgins started 23 of his 26 games and was on the receiving end of 140 passes that he took for 2,166 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Draft profile
Expected round: 2 | Consensus big board: No. 4
9 | Patriots meeting: Senior Bowl
receiver with a proven track record of winning contested catches, Higgins has the makings of a starting X-receiver at the next level. He would play just that role in New England as well, competing with the likes of Mack Hollins and Javon Baker for top-level reps from early on in his career.
What is his growth potential? Higgins has some limitations, but he is still a player on the up who offers long-term potential as a perimeter receiver. Once he becomes more experienced in how to apply his physical skills to his advantage against pro-level competition, he can be a three-down presence on the outside of an offense.
Does he have positional versatility? As noted above, Higgins was mostly used as a perimeter target in college but also was moved to the slot on occasion (83-17 split). His usage in the NFL would likely be similar. The same is true for his special teams role, which was effectively non-existent at both Eastern Kentucky and Iowa State.
Why the Patriots? By now you probably know that the Patriots have room for improvement at the X-receiver spot. Higgins is one of several players in this year’s draft who could help out in that regard, but when it comes to overall body of work — skillset plus college usage plus production — he looks like a cleaner projection than the likes of fellow second-tier WR prospects such as Tre Harris, Elic Ayomanor or Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Why not the Patriots? Higgins’ lack of elite deep speed and YAC ability might not be what the Patriots are looking for within their new-look offense. Additionally, the board might fall in a way that will prevent him from coming to New England: the 38th overall pick might simply be spent on another position, with the three wideouts mentioned above — Harris, Ayomanor, Thornton Jr. — preferable targets later on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
One-sentence verdict: Given his sure hands, length, and ability to win contested catches, Higgins would be a quarterback-friendly addition to the Patriots’ offense.
What do you think about Jayden Higgins as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
