Iowa Star Receives Boring NFL Comparison, But it Makes Sense

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins is one of the more interesting defensive players in this upcoming NFL Draft class, as his draft position almost surely won't match his collegiate production.

Higgins was a stalwart at Iowa and just completed a brilliant 2024 campaign in which he rattled off 124 tackles and four interceptions en route to winning the Butkus-Fitzgerald award for the Big Ten's best linebacker.

However, most are expecting Higgins to be a late Day 3 pick, with some even predicting the Hawkeyes product to fall to the back end of the seventh round.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic feels that Higgins will likely go in one of the final two rounds next week, and he has offered a rather bland NFL comparison for the 22-year-old: Anthony Walker.

"Overall, Higgins’ lack of ideal speed and length will be more glaring in the NFL, but he consistently punches above his weight class," Brugler wrote. "His instincts and toughness will help disguise concerns about his game, too. His game is reminiscent of Anthony Walker, who has been a productive pro when healthy."

While that may not exactly be a glamorous comparison, Walker has posted three seasons of over 100 tackles since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2017. His most productive campaign came in 2019 when he racked up 124 tackles.

The inside linebacker position is no longer prioritized like it once was, as the modern NFL has placed more of an emphasis on edge rushers. That alone will make Higgins less of a commodity, but thanks to his high motor, great football IQ and nose for the ball, he could ultimately carve out a rather successful professional career.

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