Hayden Hatten, WR Idaho: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Hatten was a three-star tight end recruit from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. in the class of 2019.

Idaho wide receiver Hayden Hatten was an FCS All-American in 2022 as he amassed 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns. Hatten is off to another great start this season. He projects as a day three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Hayden Hatten, WR Idaho: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year redshirt junior wide receiver from Scottsdale, Ariz.

Background: Hatten was a three-star tight end recruit from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 78 tight end recruit according to 247Sports. Hatten was a two-star recruit, the No. 120 tight end, and the No. 2,812 recruit on the 247Sports Composite board. He didn’t receive a national recruiting ranking from Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Hatten originally committed to Brown before flipping to Idaho. As a high school senior, he was a Second Team All-Conference tight end who helped Saguaro win a state championship. Hatten amassed 38 receptions for 763 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, along with two rushing touchdowns, a passing touchdown, and two sacks in his final season. He earned All-State honors as a junior when he snagged 68 receptions for 1,029 yards and 16 touchdowns. Hatten originally began his high school career at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Ariz. His twin brother, Hogan, plays linebacker and long snapper for Idaho.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed seven games in 2021

Awards: 2020-21 First Team All-Big Sky, 2021 Hero Sports Sophomore All-America, 2022 First Team All-Big Sky, 2022 Big Sky Fall All-Academic Team, 2022 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ First Team All-American

Pros: Some exposure to the slot, rarely drops the football, natural hands catcher, size sets him apart from defenders, appears to have ideal arm length, dominated in contested catch situations in 2022, excellent body control and concentration at the catch point, rises to meet the football, skies high or dives low for the football, survives contact to make the catch, comfortable making catches along the sideline, well built to handle hits over the MOF, uses physicality to battle through contact, feet fire to help with release versus press, uses size and active hands to combat press, was a man-beater in 2022, varies route tempo to maximize the play’s spacing and timing, high effort head, shoulder, and hip fakes to sell routes, locates the holes in zone coverage, uses size to break some tackles

Cons: Lacks diverse special teams experience, two fumbles in 2022, competition level, not a sudden or twitchy athlete, limited burst off the line, not a dynamic athlete, large frame gives DBs a big a target in press coverage, routes are more rounded than sharp, lacks burst going into and out of sharp cuts, doesn’t generate much separation with his athleticism, limited ability to make defenders miss and generate YAC, must show more effort and improve hand placement as a blocker, takes poor angles to blocks, largely ineffective against Washington State (2022)

Overview: Hatten’s build reflects his background as a tight end. He’s tall and muscular, which plays to his advantage in contested catch situations. Hatten is a natural hands catcher with solid arm length. He used his frame and ball skills to dominate in contested catch situations in 2022. Hatten plays with excellent body control and concentration at the catch point. He skies to meet the football but is also willing to dive in the dirt to save low throws. Hatten’s frame gives him the power and durability to survive big hits on receptions over the middle of the field. Besides being comfortable working between the hashes, Hatten is also experienced at making toe-dragging sideline grabs. The Arizona native fires his feet to help with releases against press coverage but primarily relies on his hand fighting and physicality in those situations. His size allows him to play through contact at all levels of the field, but he is a large target for skilled defensive backs in press coverage. As a route runner, Hatten varies his tempo to maximize the play’s spacing and timing. He also throws various head, shoulder, and hip fakes to sell defenders on routes. Hatten plays with a strong feel for holes in zone coverage. Unfortunately, he rounds his routes and doesn’t generate much separation with his natural athleticism. The former tight end recruit lacks burst going into and out of sharp cuts and doesn’t offer much upside after the catch. He isn’t a dynamic athlete and lacks the elusiveness to generate yards after the catch despite facing low-level competition. Hatten doesn’t have ideal speed to stretch the field vertically against NFL-caliber defensive backs, but he consistently separates late in vertical routes against Big Sky defenders. Hatten uses his ball tracking, catch radius, and large frame to prevent defenders from making a play on the ball. Big Sky opponents couldn’t play Hatten one-on-one in man coverage in 2022 because he always found just enough space to win. Idaho’s season opener against Washington State was a different story. While Hatten’s fellow Idaho wide receiver Jermaine Jackson was electric enough to separate and give the Cougars fits, the eventual FCS First Team All-American struggled to uncover on intermediate and deep routes and couldn’t create after the catch on short routes. Similar issues could await Hatten in the NFL. He’s also an inconsistent run blocker who takes bad angles to blocks and has poor hand placement. The former three-star recruit lacks diverse special teams experience, only taking significant snaps on the kick return unit.  

Overall, Hatten ran rampant at the FCS level in 2022 thanks to his large frame and elite ball skills, but he faces a difficult transition to the NFL. Many of Hatten’s standout traits are more common in the pros, where defenders are better equipped to neutralize those advantages. He projects as an early-career practice squad player.

Role & Scheme Fit: X or Z receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Late Sixth to Early Seventh

Size: 6'2", 205 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-07-23