By: Michael Higgins

School: Iowa State (Senior)

Position: WR

HT: 6’3

WT: 210

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #85

Xavier Hutchinson is a big wide receiver out of Jacksonville, Florida. He was originally given 2 stars out of high school and opted to attend Blinn College in Florida. Hutchinson did well for himself in Junior College and was then recruited by a few Power 5 schools and ultimately chose to play football at Iowa State. No matter where he has played, Hutchinson has been putting up big time numbers. In all three seasons that he spent at Iowa State, he was First Team All Big-12 every single year. He has had to earn every snap he gets on the football field, and it shows.

Hutchinson has consistent hands and an ability to come down with heavily contested catches. He has excellent body control to stay balanced through contact and absorb that contact with the ball in his hands. Hutchinson has noticeable length that he uses well both at the catch point and when engaged with defensive backs. Close to the line of scrimmage, he is able to keep defensive backs at bay with his arm length and strength, not allowing them to knock him off his route. As a long time X receiver, Hutchinson has an expansive route tree. He is a crisp route runner and is very technical in his breaks. His footwork is exceptional as he works in and out of breaks in the middle of the field. Hutchinson has quick instincts and has proven that he can react well to quick changes on a dime. Hutchinson is hard to bring down and smaller corners will have difficulty containing him at the catch point or with the ball in his hands. A simple shove will not knock Hutchinson to the ground, defensive backs will have to be able to completely wrap him up in order to stop his momentum. Hutchinson is a reliable threat for yards after the catch. The Cyclones often ran him in the flats and on drag routes to get open in short yardage situations in order to set up a big run after the catch.

Hutchinson’s main weakness revolves around how he was used. He hasn’t proven that he can be a deep threat consistently. Hutchinson has a bigger frame, but he is not consistently coming down with contested catches. This could be a testament to his short yardage ability and how he works in open space, but you would like to see him in more of an X receiver role on tape. Xavier Hutchinson also lacks over-the-top speed to take the top off a defense.

Xavier Hutchinson can provide any offense with a reliable weapon on the outside with sure hands and a big frame, combined with the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He is a more polished and experienced receiver that will be able to contribute right away. He cannot be the main weapon in an offense yet, but he can certainly be a complementing piece early on in his career.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Complementary Receiver

Best Team Fits: GB, ATL, SEA

Player Comparison: Allen Lazard

Player Grade: 74.4