The production wasn’t a question, but Higgins’ 6-foot stature and 4.82-second 40-yard dash raised some questions during the pre-draft process. It all resulted in Higgins wearing purple, and he’s glad to be a Raven despite the difficult journey.
“Extremely happy to be here,” he said. “Obviously, the draft day, all three days, didn’t go as planned, but super fortunate to have the opportunity to come to Baltimore with so much defensive history.
“The linebackers that play here, that played here in the past, I think it’s a good fit for me. Just how I operate, my mindset, and how they operate defensively. So I think we’re a good match, and I’m kind of happy things turned out the way they did.”
Baltimore has a strong history of undrafted rookies making the 53-man roster, including Defensive Coordinator and former All-Pro linebacker Zach Orr. With key linebackers Malik Harrison and Chris Board (another former Ravens rookie free agent) departing in free agency, Higgins will have an opportunity to make his mark with a strong summer.
He will also get to learn from one of the game’s top linebackers in Roquan Smith, something Higgins benefited from in college by playing behind future first-round pick Jack Campbell.
While his journey to the NFL was different than anticipated, Higgins is ready to make the most of his opportunity as a Raven.
“I’ll definitely try to learn a lot, I feel like I’m a pretty good listener,” he said. “Obviously, Roquan, what he’s doing is pretty special. I mean, just the two days I’ve been here, obviously, we’re watching tape and it seems that him and Kyle Hamilton and all those dudes are flying around.
“To be a part of that defense, you got to be ready. I’m going to soak it all in and hopefully get as close as possible to him (Smith) and learn what I can learn.”