Xavier Hutchinson, WR Iowa State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Hutchinson was a three-star recruit from Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Fla. and (junior college) Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the class of 2020

The Iowa State Cyclones saw three of their four best offensive players in quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Breece Hall, and tight end Charlie Kolar leave for the NFL this past spring. That leaves two-time All-Conference wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson as the only returning Cyclone who produced over 300 yards from scrimmage in 2021.

In 2022, Hutchinson will face an uphill battle against the massive turnover in Iowa State’s program. He enters the season with decent draft stock and an eye on the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Xavier Hutchinson, WR Iowa State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior outside receiver from Jacksonville, Fla.

Background: Hutchinson was a three-star recruit from Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Fla. and (junior college) Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 76 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 48 (four-star) for On3.com. Hutchinson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. Hutchinson was Third-Team All-State as a high school senior when he amassed 74 receptions for 1,004 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Hutchinson also played basketball in high school. In his final year at Blinn College, Hutchinson recorded 47 receptions for 652 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. He was born on June 1, 2000.

2021 Production: 13 games, 83 receptions, 987 yards, 4 touchdowns

2020 Production: 12 games, 64 receptions, 771 yards, 4 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through a hand injury in the Cheez-It Bowl (2021)

Awards: 2020 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, 2020 First-Team All-Big 12, 2021 First-Team All-Big 12

Pros: Career drop rate at Iowa State is under five percent, experience in the slot and out wide, fully extends for catches outside his frame, highpoints the ball and gets up for it, size to be a red zone threat, stiff arm, runs through arm tackles, battles for YAC, vision with the ball in his hands, some ability to make cuts and jukes in the open field, comfortable working the sideline, primarily productive on short to intermediate routes but he has some wins over 20 yards downfield, some spectacular contested catches on tape, ball tracking, quicker off the line than you think, release package to handle a variety of coverages, route running creates separation on short throws, battles through contact early in the route

Cons: Limited to no special teams experience since leaving Blinn College, probably closer to 6'2", lean frame makes breaking anything more than arm tackles difficult, lacks home run speed, will get caught from behind by NFL defenders, success as a blocker is inconsistent, lacks the speed and acceleration to consistently threaten defenses vertically, not twitchy or sudden, some manufactured touches he won’t see in the NFL, separation and the ability to beat press coverage are concerns, routes are sometimes rounded

Overview: Hutchinson is unofficially listed at 6'3", 210 lbs. Among the larger receivers I’ve watched this offseason, Hutchinson is the best at planting his foot in the ground and cutting or throwing in a quick juke after the catch. There’s some shiftiness to his game despite his size, which combines with his ability to break arm tackles to create a legitimate YAC threat. Hutchinson strikes me as one of those players who is always slightly faster than the guy chasing him, even if he’s not that fast by NFL standards. He excels on short to intermediate routes but can stretch the field vertically. His size shows up in contested catch chances, although he’s more of a true 50-50 jump ball receiver than a 60-40 guy. Hutchinson relies on his long strides and nuanced route running to generate separation, which can be an uphill battle for him against sticky corners.

Overall, Hutchinson has a unique blend of traits for his build. His effort and attention to detail create separation and YAC opportunities, but he might find those opportunities harder to come by if he stays as an outside receiver in the NFL. Hutchinson could kick inside and operate as a big slot receiver at the next level.

Role & Scheme Fit: Z receiver or big slot (Y) in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Early Fourth to Late Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-07-22