ESPN Names Three Bengals Worth First-Round Picks at 2023 NFL Trade Deadline

Cincinnati likely won't move any part of this trio, but its a fun look at their value.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Publish date:
Oct 20, 2023 4:12 PM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The NFL's Trade Deadline falls on Halloween this year as NFL teams canvas options to improve their rosters. ESPN's Bill Barnwell assessed each franchise to see which players would warrant first-round picks back in a trade.

He had three Bengals requiring at least one first-round pick in a deal: Quarterback Joe Burrow, plus, wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.

Barnwell didn't even waste words trying to explain why Burrow would be the only player worth multiple first-rounders. Chase checked in as the only two-pick player and Higgins slotted into the one first-round selection area.

"Chase fits all the criteria for landing two first-rounders as a non-quarterback," Barnwell wrote. "He's young, has a credible case as the best player in football at his position, and plays a premium spot in the lineup. He also has four more years of cost control remaining, with $8.3 million due between 2023 and 2024 before the possibility of two franchise tags in 2025 and 2026. He has a strong case alongside Dallas' Micah Parsons and Minnesota's Justin Jefferson as the most valuable non-quarterback in the sport."

Higgins is just on the outside looking in from that elite haul a top-10 wide receiver would command.

"Higgins is capable of taking over games, but it's tougher to make a case that he's a top-10 player at wide receiver than it is for someone like A.J. Brown," Barnwell wrote. 'Higgins' production is capped by Chase playing on the other side of the field, but it also likely leads to easier coverage looks and fewer double-teams. He is also a free agent after the season, so he's about to get expensive. I still think he would land a first-rounder, but there's a much bigger gap between Higgins and Chase's trade value than it might seem."

A few other players like Trey Hendrickson and Dax Hill just missed the cut.

"The Bengals are built around a deep roster as opposed to building something top-heavy, which makes for a better football team than it does for trade value," Barnwell wrote. "Trey Hendrickson is an extremely productive pass-rusher when healthy, but at $16 million or so per year over the next three seasons, he's not a bargain.

"I've been impressed by 2022 first-rounder Dax Hill, who has looked great as a deep safety after taking over for Jessie Bates. As a late first-round pick who didn't play much as a rookie, though, it's tough to believe he would still net a first-rounder from most of the NFL."

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