John Hightower 2020 NFL Draft Profile

John Hightower Overview

After two seasons with Boise State, wide receiver John Hightower is looking to take his career into the NFL. During Hightower’s lone season as a full-time starter, the wide receiver recorded 51 receptions on 89 targets for 943 yards and eight touchdowns for an eye-popping 18.5 yards-per-carry. Hightower played 662 snaps on the offensive side of the ball, with 66 of said snaps coming in the slot.

Hightower spent the first two years of his eligibility with the Mississippi State’s Hinds Community College. Even though he only caught 31 receptions for 509 yards and seven touchdowns during his two years in JUCO, he managed to draw the interest of several major programs. After setting on Boise State, Hightower made his debut in the 2018 season. During his first season with Boise State, Hightower recorded 31 receptions on 46 targets for 504 yards and six touchdowns.

Strengths

Speed demon, 4.43 40 time doesn’t reflect his game speed;

Knows how to vary speed and keep defenders off their guard;

Big-play threat in the open field, can be deadly on screens;

Could be an effective gadget player with a creative enough coach;

Impressive catch radius that gives his quarterback some room to work with.

Weaknesses

Something of a one-trick pony with minimal nuance to his game;

Minimal reps against press coverage, and struggled to beat it when he faced it;

Could probably stand to add a few pounds of muscle;

Wasn’t as dominant as he should be been, considering the competition;

Needs to improve his overall route-tree;

Struggles against more physical coverage in contested catch situations.

Projection: 3^rd/4^th round

Bottom Line on John Hightower

John Hightower isn’t a well-rounded player by any stretch of the imagination, but he has skills that should translate to the NFL. While he’s no Henry Ruggs, Hightower still has the speed required to toast NFL defensive backs. He can vary his speed to fool cornerbacks and get over the top and also has the ball-tracking skills to adjust to an off-target pass. Smart coaches will also find ways to harness his speed in the screen game and on some gadget plays.

The biggest problem with Hightower’s tape is that he never showed an ability to do anything more than be a deep threat. He doesn’t have the most polished route tree, he struggles to beat press, and he doesn’t project as a high-volume chain mover. He’ll need to add some muscle to overcome press coverage at the NFL level, and he should have been much more dominant against inferior college competition.

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