Bengals select Tee Higgins to open Day 2 of NFL draft

The Cincinnati Bengals selected wide receiver Tee Higgins out of Clemson in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 33rd overall.

Higgins will join a Bengals club that drafted quarterback Joe Burrow first overall. Ironically, Higgins' and Burrow's teams squared off in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, with the latter's LSU squad prevailing.

Higgins posted 59 receptions for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns in his junior season. The Bengals will add him to a receiving corps that features A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd.

Prospect Profile

School: Clemson
Height: 6-4
Weight: 216 lbs

Positives

• Excellent size and frame, can continue to grow
• Covers space immediately with his long strides
• Outstanding catch radius
• Thrives in back-shoulder and timing routes along the sideline
• Uses his impressive frame to box out cornerbacks, adjust to throws, and attack the ball
• Ability to beat press coverage off the line of scrimmage
• Surprisingly elusive after the catch - can break away and create yards after contact
• Stacks defenders well on vertical routes
• Excellent ball tracker

Negatives

• Poor athletic testing
• Not a crisp route-runner and has below-average change-of-direction skills
• Won't threaten defenses with his speed
• ACC didn't offer consistent top competition

Bottom Line

After a productive career at Clemson full of highlight-reel plays, Higgins heads to the pros with truly elite traits but also a few question marks. Standing 6-foot-4, the All-Conference first-team selection doesn't possess game-breaking speed or elite separation ability, but that's not his game. When the ball is in the air, bet on Higgins to make a play. He's a prototypical X receiver with an advanced ability to beat press coverage, box out defenders, and excel on timing routes. Add the fact that he profiles as a legitimate red-zone threat, and it's easy to see where Higgins fits in an NFL offense. His strengths far outshine his weaknesses.