[2023 NFL Draft/6-205] Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State

XAVIER HUTCHINSON | Iowa State 6017 | 203 lbs. | 5SR Jacksonville, Fla. (Bartram Trail) 6/1/2000 (age 22.91)

BACKGROUND: Xavier Hutchinson was born in St. Augustine, Fla., to parents who both served in the Navy. He was a multi-sport athlete growing up but always gravitated toward basketball and AAU. Hutchinson attended Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, where he starred in basketball and football, catching passes from highly recruited quarterback Joey Gatewood, who later committed to Auburn. After seeing minimal action on varsity as a freshman and sophomore, he recorded 28 catches for 267 yards and one touchdown as a junior, adding a rushing touchdown. As a senior, Hutchinson earned third team All-State and first team All-District honors, leading Bartram Trail to the 2017 Class 7A state championship game. He finished his senior season with 74 receptions for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hutchinson was also a three-year letterman in basketball and averaged 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a senior, leading Bartram Trail to a 20- win season in 2017-18.

Hutchinson wasn’t ranked by the recruiting services and received marginal interest from football programs because of academic issues, and he thought of himself as a basketball player first and football player second. After his productive senior season, he saw his future on the football field and enrolled at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. Hutchinson missed the first five games in 2017 and managed only 15 catches that first season, but it was enough to earn an offer from Iowa State in June 2018. He had a breakout sophomore season with 47 catches for 652 yards and five touchdowns in 2018. A three-star junior college recruit, Hutchinson picked up several Power 5 offers, including Nebraska, Illinois, Oklahoma, TCU and Utah. However, Iowa State and head coach Matt Campbell had the edge because they were early to identify his talent, and Hutchinson signed with the Cyclones’ 2020 recruiting class. His father (Trent), who was a chef in the Navy, ran track at Georgia Southern. His mother (Denise) played basketball at Wisconsin. Hutchinson took advantage of the extra year of eligibility because of COVID rules and returned for a fifth season in 2022. He graduated with his degree in criminal justice. Hutchinson accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Solid height/weight/speed athlete ... on-field movements showcase his foot quickness and smooth gait ... body control comes very naturally to him ... plays unfazed by traffic and displays strength through contact to finish catches to the ground ... physical presence and doesn’t allow cornerbacks to muscle him off his route path ... efficient as a grab-and-go receiver, turning slants into big gains ... looks comfortable securing catches outside of his frame ... not shifty but can make receivers miss ... effective stalk and wall-off blocker ... caught at least one pass in all 37 games the past three years ... set the Iowa State reception records for a single season (107) and career (254) ... no FBS player had more catches over the past three seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Built well for the position but doesn’t consistently use his size ... linear athlete who doesn’t rely on sink or snap in his route breaks ... will struggle to elude NFL press and man-to-man coverage ... needs to be more subtle and skilled with his hand fighting to separate at the top of routes ... hands are more average than above-average ... very low touchdown rate, scoring once every 16.9 catches for the Cyclones ... offers nothing on special teams coverages (only 13 career special teams snaps in college) ... underwent surgery after a piece of bone in his left thumb became detached (November 2021).

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Iowa State, Hutchinson was the X wide receiver in former offensive coordinator Tom Manning’s offense. The FBS leader in catches per game (8.9) in 2022, he set the Big 12 record for most receptions (254) by a three-year player, passing Justin Blackmon (252). The Cyclones’ leading receiver each of his three seasons in Ames, Hutchinson is a physical, quick-footed mover with NFL-worthy body control and catch instincts. Though his tape shows both toughness and urgency, he lacks separation burst in his releases and at the stem, and it will be tougher for him to shake tight man coverage in the NFL. Overall, Hutchinson is an average-twitch athlete and doesn’t have a truly distinguishing trait, but his competitive mindset and well-rounded game will be appealing to an NFL team looking for a rotational possession target. He has the potential to be an eventual No. 2 in the NFL with additional polish.

GRADE: 3rd-4th Round