Prospect Profile: Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State

Context

Played the majority of his time in the box but also some as a Split Safety and some in the slot. Split his time more evenly between the box and the back end his Freshman year.

Coverage

He has plenty of athleticism and is a good processor of the game and these add up to a good range that allows him to make plays on the sideline from a split safety alignment. He’s not packing the kind of speed and instincts to make plays on the sideline from single high but that’s not his game. He is excellent in Zone coverage, as he reads the Quarterback well and gets off his spot quickly, often at the beginning of the throwing motion. His drive mechanics are good and he’s able to use the explosive ability he has to close on the football from his spot. This is true on swing passes and bubble screens but also true on other crossing routes, slants and RB option routes that break in front of him. He has good mechanics when breaking to the sideline at 90 degrees in Zone. He has a smooth backpedal and most of his transitions are excellent, which means he can easily stay in phase against even the most athletic Tight Ends and you can bring him down to play man coverage on a receiver in certain circumstances. If he’s playing man coverage on a receiver running a vertical cut he will need help over the top as he isn’t as proficient at opening his hips on post and corner routes. But on underneath routes in Man he does a good job of reading the WR and breaking with them as they reach the top of their route. This is when his excellent ball skills can come into play; he has great timing and accuracy with his hands to break up the ball when a receiver is breaking to the sideline. He also gets his head around and tracks the ball downfield remarkably well. He’s really good in contested catch situations because of his vertical leap and the timing of his hands for the break-up or the interception. He is a useful weapon when disguising coverage as he’s adept at keeping his intentions hidden from the Quarterback. He’s also proficient at recognizing screens and getting underneath the convoy to make a tackle on the receiver before damage is done.

Run Support

Spent most of his time in the box and has honed his run defense over time. He is competitive, tough and aggressive and inserts himself against the run. He has good entry angles and closing speed to get to the ball carrier. You can see him trigger quickly on inside runs and fire downhill making tackles close to or behind the line of scrimmage. He has shown some ability to use his hands when taking on blocks and he stays much cleaner when he does, but it’s inconsistent to the point of being rare. What more normally happens is that he takes on blocks with his body and impact. While that works against smaller blockers, he can get stuck on Offensive Linemen, especially when they’re climbing to the second level from a combo block. He’s inconsistent as an open-field tackler, and he often leaves his feet unnecessarily so he slides off slippery runners in the open field. He can also take bad angles in assessing the athletic ability of open-field runners. He uses the sideline well when tackling and does hit hard but he too often gives runners a lane.

SUMMARY
Excellent in coverage, use in Man when needed. Versatile and intelligent, has good run entry angles and plays the run with aggression. Must improve take-on with hands and open-field tackling.

PRODUCTION 
JR: 3 sacks, 2 QB hits, 81 To. Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PBUs, 2 INTs
SO: 1 Sack, 3 QB hits, 78 To. Tackles, 4 PBUs, 1 INIT
Injury: None

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 4
Intelligence 4
Versatility 5
Grit 4
Scheme 5