An in depth and complete scouting report and draft prospect profile of Washington State Nickel Jaden Hicks for the NFL Draft.

Prospect: Jaden Hicks

School: Washington State

Age: 21

Jaden Hicks Measurables:

• Height: 6’2” (NFL Combine)
• Weight: 211 (NFL Combine)

• 40: 4.47-4.5 (Pro Day)
• Vertical Jump: 37.5” (NFL Combine)
• Broad Jump: 10’2” (NFL Combine)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.37 (NFL Combine)
• 3 Cone: 6.88 (NFL Combine)
• Bench: 16 (NFL Combine)
• Other Notes:
  • Measured in 1” shorter than ESPN had listed
  • Jaden Hicks Back Pedal and 45 break drill started strong, but ended exactly the way we would’ve thought. Fluid back pedal and hips, then couldn’t track and locate the ball at all
  • With the exception of the back pedal and 45 break drill, can’t lie Jaden Hicks has actually looked pretty good in the positional drills. Definitely need to take another look, don’t remember him looking like this on tape
  • Holy hell Jaden Hicks, he may have had the best run of the gauntlet of any of the safeties. Caught everything, stayed on the line… beautifully done

Tape Watched: Oregon State, Arizona x2, Wisconsin

Prospect Grade: 45% with upside

Projected Draft Day: Late Day 3- Early Day 3 to the right team

Player Comparison: Ceiling: Reed Blankenship; Floor: Miles Killebrew

Best Team Fits: Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs

Jaden Hicks Player Summary:

The  Positives

• Aggressive against blockers
• Raw
• Man coverage isn’t bad
• Pretty high motor
• Relentless blitzer
• Wisconsin film is night and day. First 2 defensive plays were Hicks coming screaming down hill and tackling Braelon Allen
• Can lay the boom
• Follows flow

The Negatives

• Conceptually doesn’t understand football
  • Needs better understanding of concepts and misdirection
• More missed tackles than you’d like to see
  • Needs to work on his angles and hip tracking
    • A big reason for the missed tackles
  • Tackles too high, he gets away with it because of size
  • Didn’t see as many missed tackles in rescout
• Block shedding needs work
  • Struggles to get off blocks
  • Due to aggressiveness against block, he can lose track of the ball carrier at times
• Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield/on the QB too long
  • Against Arizona, Vert wheel concept he’s playing deep in cover 1. Ball is out of QBs hands for at least a second before Hicks turns and runs to the wheel going vertical
• Zone coverage and ability to read the field needs work, especially when playing deep
  • He can’t play zone, has minimal to no understanding of a zone scheme and drops… Even LB drops. 
• Can get too handsy in coverage at times, particularly man
• Bites on play action religiously

Side Notes:

• Would’ve like to have seen him back in college for at least one more year
• We are going to blame WSU for his development
  • Their scheme looked extremely unorganized/undisciplined
  • Another year of college football, but going into the portal would’ve been better for him

Jaden Hicks is NOT a safety. Respectfully, we have trouble seeing how he’s even a D1 Football player. We wanted to like Hicks, we really did. We like the role that Washington State played him in, but he lacks most of the skills, instincts, and traits necessary to be even decent at what they asked of him. We respect the heck out of his hustle, but he reminds us of the kid people talk about being able to “play football” because he stands out playing school recess 2 hand touch.

Updated 4/9/24: We will say it again, Jaden Hicks is NOT a safety. Hicks looked better in our rescout of him, but it wasn’t super night and day. It still looks to us that he conceptually doesn’t understand football. He’s good at following flow, but doesn’t see misdirection or leaking routes the way other players do. We continue to classify him as a nickel because we don’t want to see him have to play as a high safety in any coverage at all. Whoever drafts him… or picks him up as a UDFA needs to transition him to the box and keep him there. Zone wise he can play the flats, but he needs to go to an extremely man heavy defensive scheme. We will say we don’t entirely blame Hicks for his lack of development, it really seemed like WSU is at least partially to blame. If their defense is representative of their development it’s probably not good. Hicks really would have benefitted from another year of college ball and the transfer portal. Regardless of what happens to him from a defensive standpoint, he should be a Special Teams Ace. 

Updated 4/9/24

• Combine numbers and rank added to measurable portion of profile 
• Grade switched from “30%” to “45% with upside”
• Projection switched from “PFA, Probably Day 3(Someone will take a shot on his size)” to “Late Day 3- Early Day 3 to the right team”
• Comp switched from “Daiyan Henley” to “Ceiling: Reed Blankenship; Floor: Miles Killebrew”
• Best Team Fits switched from “Spring League” to “Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs”
• Positives Added
  • Wisconsin film is night and day. First 2 defensive plays were Hicks coming screaming down hill and tackling Braelon Allen
  • Can lay the boom
  • Follows flow
• Negatives Added
  • Conceptually doesn’t understand football
  • Mans can’t play zone, has minimal to no understanding of a zone scheme and drops
  • Needs better understanding of concepts and misdirection
  • Bites on play action religiously
  • Against Arizona, Vert wheel concept he’s playing deep in cover 1. Ball is out of QBs hands for at least a second before Hicks turns and runs to the wheel going vertical
  • Tackles too high, he gets away with it because of size
• Side Note Added
  • We are going to blame WSU for his development