If the Jacksonville Jaguars don't address wide receiver in the first round of this year's NFL draft, here are two Day 2 prospects to potentially keep your eyes on.
ESPN's draft analysts Jordan Reid, Field Yates, and Matt Miller each recently answered a series of draft-specific questions, one of which was naming a Day 2 pick who could be an "instant impact player in the right system."
Yates would select Iowa State's Jayden Higgins, and Miller would pick Missouri's Luther Burden.
Higgins is a big-bodied wide out, measuring in at 6-4 - 214 pounds, and has athleticism to go with that size, posting a Relative Athletic Score of 9.62, which included a 4.47-second 40.
Higgins has lined up both inside and out--which will be an important element in Liam Coen's offense at the receiver position--and in this most recent season, he hauled in 1,185 receiving yards at 13.6 yards per catch with nine touchdowns.
"He has positional versatility to feature in a big slot role, as well as steady run-after-catch skills for when a team needs to chew up quick yards," wrote Yates.
Burden, meanwhile, stands 6-0 and weighs 206 pounds. He would run a 4.42-second 40. Of note, the majority of Burden's snaps have come from the slot, but Miller does mention that he believes Burden has the upside to line up on the boundary as well.
After totaling 1,209 receiving yards at 14.1 yards per catch in 2023, Burden's production fell off in 2024, in part due to "uneven" quarterback play, as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein put it. He finished the year with 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns compared to nine the year prior.
Where Burden has been really dangerous is with the ball in his hands, picking up yards after the catch.
"I'm going to continue to bang the table for Burden as a first-round talent, but the buzz around the league is he'll likely be available in Round 2," Miller wrote. "Burden has an excellent ability to pick up extra yards after the catch and has upside as an outside X receiver."
Beyond Brian Thomas Jr., the Jaguars have a few candidates in Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, and Dyami Brown when it comes to finding that reliable second option within the offense. However, it's not a given that any of those players can consistently step into that role either, so that factor on its own should stop the Jaguars from further adding to this position.
In addition to that, the NFL draft is about planning ahead, and as we look to 2026, Brown is only here on a one-year deal, and we don't know what he future holds for Davis after 2025.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars NFL draft: Jayden Higgins, Luther Burden instant impact on Day 2
