Tee Higgins Draft Analysis
ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper had just three receivers ranked ahead of former Clemson star Tee Higgins when he released his latest 2020 rankings of the position on Tuesday.
Kiper had Alabama's Jerry Jeudy No. 1, followed by Oklahoma's Ceedee Lamb, Alabama's Henry Ruggs III and Higgins.
The veteran draft analyst also released a mock draft in which he has Higgins joining former Clemson teammates Hunter Renfrow, Clelin Ferrell and Trayvon Mullen in the desert.
Higgins skipped the on-field workouts at last month's NFL combine because he didn't have adequate time to prepare and recover from the 2019 season. He was able to show NFL coaches, scouts and executives what he can do at Clemson's Pro Day earlier this month.
Higgins ran a 4.54 40-yard dash inside the Tigers' practice facility on March 12. Clemson was one of the few schools that their draft hopefuls were able to showcase skills before the NFL shut down travel because of COVID-19 concerns.
The Oak Ridge, Tenn., native caught 59 passes for a team-high 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019. He was named an All-ACC first-team selection and decided to leave Clemson after his junior season to enter the draft.
Higgins has bounced in and out of the first round in several mock drafts. There's concern about him handling the physicality of NFL cornerbacks, and Higgins lacks the blazing speed of receivers ranked ahead of him.
He still has a good chance at going in the first round as plenty of NFL teams are looking to upgrade with a deep, talented receiver class.
The NFL draft is scheduled for April 23-25.
