Philadelphia Eagles: John Hightower is a Day 3 Denzel Mims

While the Philadelphia Eagles may have missed out on Denzel Mims in the second round, John Hightower is a Day 3 alternative who could be just as explosive.

Welp, after pulling off a pair of trades with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles finally made a pick, selecting John Hightower out of Boise State with the 168th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Sidebar: How can Howie Roseman expect to add instant impact players if he keeps trading back? Oh yeah, by adding height-weight-speed guys who were the best players on their college teams.

That’s how.

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A two-sport star in college, Hightower appeared in 23 games from 2018-19 at Boise State, where he hauled in 82 catches for 1,447 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Hightower was initially a track star at Hinds Community College in Mississippi, and believe you me, that speed translated both to the combine and on the field. Lining up almost exclusively on the outside for the Broncos, Hightower routinely worked himself open against the best cornerbacks the Mountain West Conference had to offer and made some downright goofy catches the likes of which are typically reserved for a much smaller receiver.

Which makes sense, because Hightower plays like a smaller receiver who just so happens to be tall.

Measuring in at 6-foot-2, 171 pounds, Hightower is as tall as he is slight, and that lack of bulk allowed him to weave through traffic without issue. Some wide receivers play like a running back in space, Hightower plays like an NBA shooting guard.

Just for context, Hightower weighs roughly 25 pounds less than the Eagles’ first-round pick, Jalen Reagor, despite being five inches taller.

However, like Reagor, Hightower has speed to burn as a vertical deep threat, as he ran a 4.43 40 at the combine, and likely would have cracked into the 4.3s if he’d have been able to participate in Boise State’s pro day.

In 2019, Hightower averaged 18.5 yards per reception, the 27th highest mark in all of college football. He was also very effective as a kick returner, as evidenced by his 24.6 yards per return average and a pretty sweet 98-yard return for a touchdown you can check out here.

For those keeping track at home, the Eagles have now added three wide receivers with sub-4.5 speed to go with DeSean Jackson in Hightower, Reagor, and San Francisco 49ers tradee Marquise Goodwin, who actually participated in Olympic trials in 2016.

In a lot of ways, Hightower’s game is reminiscent of New York Jets’ second-round pick Denzel Mims, a player that many fans wanted the Eagles to draft over Jalen Hurts.

Like Mims, Hightower is a big, fast Z receiver who is still relatively raw on the football field. While Hightower probably doesn’t have the same ceiling as Mims, he also has far lower expectations to come in and contribute at a high level as a rookie.

Mims will be expected to start for the Jets this fall. Hightower, by contract, may end up being seventh on the team’s depth chart if the Eagles keep Alshon Jeffery, maybe even eight if the team selects a third receiver later on Day 3.

Next. Auburn’s Jack Driscoll is the best of both worlds. dark

By going all-in on speed, the Philadelphia Eagles have fully committed to playing a new brand of fast, high-flying vertical football the likes of which we’ve never seen in South Philly. With the air raid fully in vogue as the league’s latest offensive trend, a team can never have enough good receivers both on the outside and in the slot. Fortunately, Hightower’s upside and effectiveness as a kick returner for the Boise State Broncos should earn him a spot on the team in 2020 and beyond.

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