Jaden Hicks scouting report: Exploring the Washington State safety's strengths and weaknesses

Just inside the top-1000 overall recruits in 2021, Hicks appeared in one game and redshirted his first year on campus, before starting all but the first two of 13 games in his debut campaign. He racked up 76 tackles, a sack, an interception, six PBUs and a scoop-and-score.

This past season, Hicks logged career-highs in total tackles (79), TFLs (6.5), sacks (2.5), forced fumbles (one) and interceptions (two – one returned for a touchdown), along with four PBUs. Yet, with the depth at the safety position in the Pac-12, he only made honorable mention all-conference.

Profile: 6’2”, 215 pounds; RS SO

Breaking down Jaden Hicks' scouting report

Run defense:

• Brings a ton of energy to the table and set the tone of this Wazzu D on a weekly basis, where he plays with a downhill mind-set and will involve himself in the fit even if he’s not on paper

• Has the physicality to be a legit +1 in the box, but also can slip bodies in space when appropriate

• Makes sure to squeeze tight-ends into the action and eliminate cutback lanes when lined up on the edge of the front

• Uses his hands well to keep blockers off his frame when lined up in the slot or someone works up to him

• Won’t surrender contain against backs trying to bounce wide and giving a little stutter to soften the corner for himself, while swiping down attempted stiff-arms

• Understands when to break down or if he can lay a bigger hit, with some hefty collisions in the hole against running backs

• On the first two plays of the Wisconsin game in 2023, Hicks put power back Braelon Allen on his butt after catching a swing route and then knifed through the line for a TFL

• Received a 74.4 PFF run defense grade and recorded 18 defensive stops in 2022, which he upped to 24 last season

Zone coverage:

• Does a great job of mid-pointing route combination that are supposed to put him in conflict and not giving quarterback a clear indication of where to go, instead turning it down and dumping the ball off

• Showcases impressive closing burst to challenge the catch-point even if he’s asked to take a longer path towards his receiver off natural rubs and leverage advantages out of stacks

• When there’s no threat to his area in shallow zone coverage, Hicks is looking for work and regularly flies underneath deep crossers

• You really like what he presents as an air traffic controlled dropping down as a robber, with the spatial awareness for nearby targets

• Takes excellent angles all across the field after the ball comes out of the quarterback’s hand, without surrendering free yardage

• Delivered some blows that take the air out of receivers coming over the middle when he drops down as a hole-defender or robber and jars the ball loose regularly

• Creates some unbelievable stops on crossers and throws late into the flats from two-high alignments

Man coverage & blitzing:

• Displays the physicality and athletic feet to really challenge tight-ends and slot receivers on the release in man-coverage reps – earned an 80.1 slot grade from PFF in 2023

• When he doesn’t connect properly with his punch, Hicks doesn’t panic and just run into the man, but rather gets his gloves on that guy’s hips to read where he’s going

• Patient in off-man, with plenty of force in his hands to contest the break-point

• Does a great job of IDing and working over the top of cross-releases and route combination that stress defenders’ ability to hang with their guys, as they could be in their own way

• Held opposing passers to 170 yards and two TDs vs. two INTs across 31 targets and 427 coverage snaps last season – one of those picks was an awesome job of wrestling the ball away on a slot fade to Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk

• Times up his blitzes where he starts from depth exceptionally well, to cross the line just as the ball is snapped

• Recognizes when RBs overset on him blitzing off the edge and quickly slips inside of them to get to the QB

Weaknesses:

• Too often allows his pads to get turned by blockers and is a lot less effective disengaging from blockers when he’s not setting the tone on contact

• Not the most comfortable at flipping his hips with vertical routes, whether he’s manned up or has to open with guys in two-deep shells

• Tends to get sloppy in his back-pedal and there can be a bit of a delay redirecting in off-man coverage

• Doesn’t track passes down the field particularly well or has great hands – dropped two opportunities for interceptions each of the past two seasons, compared to three actually hauled in

• Lacks the quick-twitch to come to balance and corral dynamic ball-carriers in true one-on-one situations as he works up from single-high alignments

Jaden Hicks' 2024 NFL Draft Prospect

Hicks was one of the more fun safeties to watch these last two seasons, with the way he was flying around the field. Whether you want to use him as a big nickel, ask him to run the alley from two-deep locks or add him onto the edge of the box, he can be a top-tier run defender on early downs.

In the pass game, he has the stout build to deal with tight-ends in man-assignments and he consistently is looking for and finds work as a zone defender. I don’t want him to cover actual slot receivers a whole lot and whether it’s the ability to track the deep ball or bring down ball-carriers in the open field, the further away from the line of scrimmage he’s asked to play, there can be some issues.

With that being said, you love the juice he brings to your defensea and how he makes his presence felt physically. He reportedly ran a 4.49 at the Cougars’ pro day, even if you want him to use that in a straight line rather than changing directions. Depending on how you value this kind of skill-set and if you have a player who can fulfill those tasks, you can take him earlier or (for me) later in the third round.

Grade: Third round