Tee Higgins projected to be one of the NFL's most productive rookie wide receivers
Tee Higgins has been one of the most productive wide receivers in all of college football over the past two seasons.
The 21-year-old finished with 118 receptions for 2,103 yards and 25 touchdowns in 30 games over that span.
His combination of size and athleticism are two big reasons why the Bengals were ecstatic to take him with the 33rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati doesn't need Higgins to be a star right away, but they do expect him to contribute in 2020.
Those expectations are reasonable according to Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com. Higgins was ninth on her list of 10 rookie wide receivers that are expected to be the most productive this season.
"Two things that pop out when reviewing Higgins' Clemson resume as it relates to future success with the Bengals: deep receptions and contested catches," Frelund wrote. "With the third-most receiving yards on deep targets among Power 5 receivers last season (565, per PFF) and the third-most contested receptions in the ACC since 2018 (23, per PFF; it should be noted that these came against a high percentage of opposing teams' best defenders), Higgins projects to be a key part of Zac Taylor's plan. He's my 61st-ranked wide receiver due to the fact that he'll be working with a rookie quarterback (No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow), and because of the uncertainty around the other receivers on the team. We haven't seen veteran A.J. Green in over a year, and the other Bengals receivers dealt with many injuries last season, meaning exactly what kind of opportunity Higgins will see is unclear for now."
Higgins is in a favorable position. He doesn't come in with the pressure to start right away. The Bengals have other options, including Tyler Boyd, John Ross and the aforementioned Green.
The Bengals needed Green to be 'the guy' in 2011. That isn't the case with Higgins. They expect him to produce, but in a perfect world, he would compliment the rest of the wide receivers and be a role player as a rookie.
If Green, Ross or others get injured, which has happened in recent seasons, then Higgins has the talent to make a big impact this season.
