Jackson Hawes, Zeek Biggers Appear to Have Secure Spots After Impressive Preseasons

Hawes (5th round) and Biggers (7th round) have impressed so far this preseason and in a rookie report by ESPN, both players seemed like they would be locks to make the rosters:

A roster spot is largely secure for Hawes, who has put together a solid camp, especially as a blocker. He's in position to be the Bills' third tight end."

"Biggers has lived up to his surname this preseason and has been a disruptive presence at the line of scrimmage -- particularly in batting passes down. He should make the initial roster"

Hawes becomes the second Georgia Tech tight end selected in the NFL Draft in the last six years, joining current Green Bay Packer Tyler Davis, who was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. Hawes’ selection is also the highest ever for a Tech tight end, in terms of both round and overall pick.

Biggers becomes the second Georgia Tech defensive lineman selected in the last three NFL Drafts, joining Keion White, a second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2023. Prior to Biggers and White, Tech only had one defensive lineman drafted in the previous 12 years.

Hawes established himself as one of college football’s premier blocking tight ends in his lone season on The Flats, leading the ACC and ranking eighth nationally in both run blocking (74.7 grade) and pass blocking (74.9 grade) among tight ends, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ranked third among Power Four conference tight ends in run blocking and fourth among P4 TEs in pass blocking. He helped pave the way for the Yellow Jackets to rush for 187.0 yards per game in 2024, good for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He also caught 16 passes for 195 yards (12.2 avg.), including four receptions for 46 yards at No. 6 Georgia. Nine of his 16 catches came against nationally ranked opponents.

Prior to his one season at Georgia Tech, Hawes played at Yale from 2019-23, where he caught 35 passes for 371 yards and six touchdowns. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale and studied business administration during his one year at Tech.

Biggers played in 47 games in four years as a Yellow Jacket, and started every game at defensive tackle over the past two seasons. He racked up 104 tackles from his interior DL position, including nine tackles for loss and two sacks. He also recorded seven pass breakups and, perhaps most impressively, four field goal blocks during his collegiate career. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder was an honorable mention all-ACC selection as a senior in 2024, when he had 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three PBU and two field goal blocks.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia Tech in December 2024.