How Can Rams TE Tyler Higbee Earn More NFL Recognition?
When comparing Los Angeles Rams' Tyler Higbee to other tight ends in the NFL, the 30-year-old finished fourth in targets (104), fifth in receptions (72), and ninth in receiving yards (620). These are superb numbers, yet Higbee gets less recognition than several other tight ends in the same area and even behind him.
One reason for his anonymity could be from the Rams' 5-12 record, despite winning the Super Bowl the year before. But another likely rationale would be his lack of yards per reception.
Higbee averaged just two yards on routes before making a reception, one of the lowest marks in the league. His 8.6 yards per reception in 2022 was the lowest number since his rookie season.
When you think of the best tight ends in the NFL, Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Mark Andrews come to mind. What do they all have in common? The answer: they make big plays. It's very simple: long receptions plus touchdowns equals Pro Bowl recognition and these All-Pros embody that.
Higbee was targeted on 20.9 percent of throws last season, the fourth-most among all tight ends. However, a heavy majority of those throws were check downs or short passes over the middle.
This isn't necessarily Higbee's fault though, as he was just following the playbook. If coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Liam Coen had designed longer plays for the tight end, things could be different for Higbee.
Future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski noticed how well Higbee capitalizes on the few opportunities he's been given.
"I’m not sure if it’s the offensive system that he’s in and not really getting that many opportunities," Gronkowski said. "But when you see a guy like him making those plays that he can make, I feel like you should give him more opportunities.”
Coen left this offseason and the Rams hired Mike LaFleur, who was the Jets offensive coordinator last season. LaFleur didn't really use New York's tight ends during his one-year stint with the team. However, he was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers from 2017-20 and was a big factor in developing Kittle.
If LaFleur and McVay work on developing deeper routes for Higbee, he may move up a tier or two on the tight-end scale as soon as Week 8. At 30 years old Higbee isn't necessarily on his way out, but he certainly doesn't have many prime years left. The Rams shouldn't waste it on check-downs when he's capable of going deeper.
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