Jaden Hicks, S Washington State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Hicks was a three-star recruit from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2021

Washington State safety Jaden Hicks emerged as a superstar this past season. He was the most talented player on a Cougars defense with multiple future draft picks. Hicks will at least hear his name in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he could climb into the second round.

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Jaden Hicks, S Washington State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore strong safety from Las Vegas, Nev.

Background: Hicks was a three-star recruit from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 922 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 876 for On3.com. Hicks was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. His senior season of high school was canceled because of COVID-19. Hicks totaled 27 tackles, a forced fumble, ten passes defensed, and seven interceptions, including three pick-sixes as a junior. Hicks earned MaxPreps First Team All-State and Las Vegas Review-Journal First Team All-Southern Nevada honors. His brother, Kalen, was a safety at Hawaii from 2016-2019.

Injuries & Off-Field: Redshirted in 2021

Awards: 2022 Third Team Freshman All-American (College Football News), 2023 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12

Pros: Excellent size and frame, closing burst, changes directions well, will run well for his size, better fluidity in lower half than he’s given credit for, anticipates plays based on motion, reads the quarterback’s eyes to anticipate throws, anticipates throwing lanes, great processing and understanding of a QB’s options based on eye movement, body positioning, etc., low and quick backpedal, speed to run with some receivers vertically from off-man, tight ends don’t threaten him athletically in coverage, can cover tight ends in man, physical at the catch point, rakes the receiver’s hands, big hitter over the middle, leads with his shoulder on big hits, size gives him upside as a blitzer, eager run defender, explosive downhill trigger, will run the alley, comes downhill with fury, chase down and contain RBs on outside zone runs from the box, consistent tackler when he wraps up

Cons: Limited special teams experience, committed three penalties in 2023, arm length is good but not great, a little high-hipped, doesn’t quite have the recovery speed to catch burners, poor footwork in man coverage near LOS, not a heavy man coverage defender, occasionally drawn out of position by action in the backfield, takes steep angles to the ball in run and pass games, doesn’t consistently come to balance as a tackler, flies in at full speed and falls off tackle attempts, Oregon’s offensive linemen easily removed him from a handful of run plays (2023), room to improve block shedding, should be more violent when taking on blocks

Overview: Washington State played Hicks in most of their alignments with little concern for any physical limitations. He lined up in two-high looks and rotated into the single-high safety role post-snap. He also walked down into the box as a third linebacker in some formations and lined up in the slot to cover tight ends in man coverage or blitz. Hicks has an excellent frame with ideal size and bulk for a strong safety. His closing burst is exciting for a player his size. The redshirt sophomore deals with some tightness in his hips, but he’s more fluid when changing directions and operating in coverage than people give him credit for. Hicks will run well at the Combine for his size, but he doesn’t quite have the recovery speed to catch burners if he gets a step behind on routes or in pursuit. His arm length is good but not great, and he’s a little high-hipped. Hicks has limited special teams experience compared to other defensive backs in the 2024 class. He anticipates plays pre-snap based on the offense’s motion, leading to him disrupting pass plays or blowing up screens or sweeps. He reads the quarterback’s eyes post-snap to anticipate throws. Hicks excels at reverse engineering the quarterback’s progressions to close multiple throwing lanes per play. His processing and awareness to shift his coverage from receiver to receiver in two-high zone as the quarterback advances through his progressions are impressive. Hicks has a low and quick backpedal that he uses to pick slot receivers up when playing off-man coverage. He has the speed to run vertically with some receivers from off-man and isn’t athletically threatened by tight ends in man coverage. Still, it’s unlikely Hicks will see as many man coverage opportunities in the NFL as he did in college. He has poor footwork that allows for easy releases when playing man coverage near the line of scrimmage. The former three-star recruit is drawn out of position by action in the backfield regardless of his coverage depth. He must be more disciplined and avoid taking the eye candy. Hicks is physical at the catch point and rakes the pass catcher’s hands to force incompletions. He delivers big, punishing hits over the middle of the field, and his size makes him a viable blitzer. The All-Pac-12 honorable mention is an eager run defender with an explosive downhill trigger. He will run the alley as he comes downhill with fury. Unfortunately, this approach leads to him flying in at full speed and slipping off tackle attempts when the ball carrier jukes or side-steps the tackle attempt. He needs to come to balance more often as a tackler. Hicks takes steep angles to the ball in the run and pass games, which leads to the ball carrier accelerating past him and gaining extra yards. The safety has the range and burst to contain running backs on outside zone runs when he deploys in the box. Despite his aggressive nature, Hicks’ hands show little violence or urgency when taking on blocks. This leads to him getting stuck on blocks for longer than he should. His block shedding is still developmental.

Overall, Hicks is a physically imposing safety with unique coverage versatility for a defensive back with his size. He shows impressive processing and anticipation skills in coverage that are aided by his closing burst. Hicks makes good one-on-one plays in the run game but still has plenty of room to improve when dealing with capable blockers.

Role & Scheme Fit: Strong safety in a diverse and creative coverage scheme

Round Projection: Late Second to Mid Third

Size: 6'3", 212 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 01-18-24