2023 NFL Draft Prospects: Xavier Hutchinson

Background

Name: Xavier Hutchinson

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

College: Iowa State University

Class: Senior

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 205 lbs

NFL Comp: Adam Thielen

Who Is Xavier Hutchinson?

'X' is a player that many fans in Jacksonville will likely hear about before the draft. Although he's not a bona-fide first round selection at the receiver position, he's a player that fans have shown interest in due to him being local to Jacksonville. Back in 2020, the Jaguars made a similar move by drafting a Duval native in Shaquille Quarterman, perhaps it's possible they could do the same once again this upcoming offseason.

Hutchinson is a well-balanced wide receiver that comes with few major flaws. During his years at Iowa State, Hutchinson has showcased his ability to make big plays down the field and track nearly any throw. Although he won't jump out at you with his physical stature, he's able to contort his body well and come down with difficult possession catches. Hutchinson has the ability to separate from defenders through his excellent route running skills and physicality as a receiver. Hutchinson is quick off the line and has a great first gear coupled with ample speed for a receiver. His separation has shown all over the field, but specifically along the sideline and across the middle.

Although Hutchinson would be considered a fit for the spread offense, he still meets many of the requirements that receivers in a west-coast offense like Jacksonville's would need. Receivers need to excel at route running and have the ability to separate from defenders. Hutchinson shows the ability to thrive at each of these aspects and does enough after to create 'yards after catch.' One physical component that 'X' has an advantage in is his long arms which allows him to stiff arm defenders easily after the catch.

Hutchinson's primary concerns could come with his knowledge of the game. He's ran a limited route tree at Iowa State and found himself with dropped passes due to lapses in focus. In addition, he needs to develop as a run blocker, but he has shown flashes of being dominant. I believe that Hutchinson would be a player that would benefit from having a limited role his first season in order to adjust to the game and learn from his teammates.

The personality that Hutchinson carries adds another strong argument for him being successful in the NFL. 'X' isn't a selfish player, he's battled through adversity such as being a two-star prospect out of high school and has great character that he would add to a team. He's a team player who sticks close to the values that were instilled in him which shows in his great work ethic.

Hutchinson's Fit With The Jaguars

I believe that Hutchinson would be a good long-term investment for the Jaguars. Great teams are always striving to improve, and the Jaguars can upgrade over Zay Jones down the road. Hutchinson would likely come back home as the fourth receiver on the offense and primarily be a backup to Zay Jones as well as Calvin Ridley. Hutchinson would see limited time on the field that could grow over the course of the season, especially if he's able to unlock the vertical passing game that Jacksonville has lacked during Lawrence's tenure.

Hutchinson could need to use his first year in Jacksonville to learn the playbook and adjust to a larger route tree. Having limited use in games could allow 'X' to focus on cleaning up his errors from college and set a good standard before taking over as a starting receiver. Making the move to draft Hutchinson would likely signal that the Jaguars are moving on from Zay Jones which would create a receivers corps consisting of Ridley, Kirk, and Hutchinson.

After his rookie season, Hutchinson would be in a great situation to develop as a starting receiver and become one of the better players in the game. Hutchinson already has all the tools to become a great receiver in the NFL, so putting him in an offense with other great receivers would allow him to thrive without being the sole focus in opposing game plans. If all of these things were able to come to fruition, the Jaguars could feature a complete receiving corps for years to come.

Should The Jaguars Draft Xavier Hutchinson?

Xavier Hutchinson could be a great selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but whether he should be drafted or not by them depends entirely on how high NFL teams value wide receivers this offseason. With Christian Kirk and several other receivers resetting the NFL market, general managers and coaches were selecting receivers left and right throughout the draft, often a round or more earlier than they were expected to go. Jacksonville wisely decided to stay out of that frenzy in 2022, but this offseason they could be forced to play the game.

The Jaguars don't have an exciting young receiver on their roster unless you consider Christian Kirk as a qualifier despite being on his second contract. I believe the Jaguars should try to add new blood to the receiving corps and as long as they don't have to pay an insane premium for Xavier Hutchinson, he would be a nice selection on Day 2 and a good story in the NFL Draft.

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