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OVERVIEW
Western Kentucky has had a bit of a run at the tight end position the past few years, with Jack Doyle drafted by the Colts in 2013 and Mitchell Henry getting his shot with multiple teams last summer. Higbee could be the best of the trio. The converted receiver added weight to his frame and when given the chance to show his stuff against Marshall as a junior, made six catches for 99 yards and three scores. He built on that in 2015, teaming up with two-time Conference USA MVP to put up some of the best numbers for any tight end in the country (38-563, eight TD) despite missing five-plus games with a knee injury.
PRO DAY RESULTS
Bench: 18 reps of 225 pounds
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Former wide receiver with a smooth, wide-open gait when he hits top gear. Has big hands. Had just one drop this season and showed ability to recover the catch when he juggled a throw. Becomes a body catcher who can protect the ball in traffic. Willing to work middle of the field and take hits. Quick and slippery off line of scrimmage and into routes. Very good acceleration out of his breaks and can be a tough cover for safeties. Has the speed and toughness to work all three levels of the field. Can own the Y-seam with his vertical speed and hands. Immediately opens and looks for expedited throws when he's over the top of inside linebackers. Has frame for more muscle mass. Extremely competitive after the catch with speed, elusiveness and decent power. Can carry body tacklers after the catch.
WEAKNESSES Still has work to do filling out his frame. Slow to adjust to blocking assignment during flow of play. Not powerful enough yet to handle NFL edge power as inline blocker. Doesn't run feet through block to sustain. Upright into his breaks. Needs route polish for underneath routes. Can get better at creating additional leverage through crisper routes. Suffered through a knee sprain that cost him four games before re-aggravating it in Conference USA Championship Game. Missed his bowl game and expected to miss Senior Bowl because of it.
DRAFT PROJECTION Round 4
NFL COMPARISON Jordan Cameron
BOTTOM LINE Knee injury basically took six games away from him this season which could cause him to fly under the radar a little bit. Higbee has exciting athleticism and speed in the open field with the ability to separate from safeties on intermediate routes and threaten the deep middle. Higbee has soft, reliable hands and plus run-after-catch ability to finish plays. While he needs to beef up his frame and blocking ability, there is no doubting his pass catching talent.
