When it comes to the NFL draft, you can make a good argument there is one metric that stands above all others when it comes to pretty much every position except for the offensive line, although even there it matters if you can run a 40-yard dash in under 5 seconds flat.
Baltimore Ravens rookie inside linebacker Jay Higgins found that out the hard way after he wasn’t selected in 2025 despite doing every single thing someone at his position needs to do in big time college football … then ran the 40 in a disastrous 4.82 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
All of that might just be an interesting footnote to a lengthy NFL career for Higgins, 6-foot and 224 pounds, who Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski predicts will make the 53-man roster.
“(Higgins) tested poorly prior to the draft, which is particularly damaging for a sub-230-pound linebacker,” Sobleski wrote on July 24. “Still, Higgins understands how to play the position at a high level. He’s going to be in position. He’s going to make plays.
With the Baltimore Ravens, he has a legitimate opportunity to provide immediate depth behind Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson, even with the organization drafting fellow linebacker Teddye Buchanan.”
Higgins is currently listed at third on the depth chart at one of the inside linebacker spots behind Smith and Jake Hummel, who is primarily a special teams player but suffered a hand injury at the beginning of training camp.
Higgins Dominated in Last 2 Seasons at Iowa
Over his last 2 seasons at Iowa, Higgins was a tackling machine with a combined 341 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 5 interceptions and 9 pass deflections in 2023 and 2024. For his efforts, Higgins was named 2-time All-American, 2-time All-Big Ten and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2024.
“The biggest reason he’s been able to put up those numbers is his relentless motor and good instincts, which allow him to be in the right spot more often than not,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote in his pre-draft evaluation.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein called Higgins a “Tackle Monster” in his pre-draft evaluation but still projected him to be a priority undrafted free agent.
“If I would have got drafted or not, when you report to minicamp, you start from ground zero,” Higgins told the Ravens official website. “For the guys who got drafted, who had good college careers, the moment they stepped out on the field, it’s fair game. Being an undrafted free agent, I understand that. I know I got to go in, prove things. Nothing’s going to be given to me.”
Ravens Might Have NFL’s Best ILB in Roquan Smith
Higgins joins a team that might have arguably the NFL’s best defense and its best inside (off ball) linebacker in Smith, a 5-time NFL All-Pro who signed a 5-year, $100 million contract extension in January 2023.
ESPN put Smith at No. 2 in its off ball linebacker rankings headed into 2025.
“(Smith) is the type of player whom opponents — and even fans inside the stadium or through the TV — perceive as a true tone-setter, with blitz ability, leverage and mental edge,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote.
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