The Cincinnati Bengals made a point to quickly get Joe Burrow some additional help to start Friday’s Round 2 with Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.
And it’s nearly impossible to complain about the pick.
Higgins stands as one of the draft’s most exciting prospects, which is saying something given the depth of the class this year. He’s a massive 6’4″ target with a big catch radius and a huge success rate on contested throws.
Look at it this way: Higgins has a notable comp to A.J. Green.
While Higgins wasn’t the biggest name at wideout on the board, we’re still talking about a guy who scored 25 times over the last two seasons alone.
One could argue offensive line or defense was a bigger need. But wideout was quietly a big long-term problem too. Before Higgins, nothing was guaranteed about the wideout room besides Tyler Boyd. A.J. Green has health questions and is on the franchise tag. John Ross remains an unknown. Etc.
Put simply, the Bengals probably had a first-round grade on Higgins to take him here over others like offensive tackle Josh Jones. They also liked him enough to ignore trade offers.
There is a reality where Higgins takes a long time to get on the field given the current depth chart. But even then, it’s easy to think Zac Taylor will at least get creative for his new big target in move-the-chains and redzone situations.
Higgins probably wasn’t the first name that came to mind for Bengals fans going into Friday night. But the traits and upside as he grows alongside Burrow could end up meaning they’ll have him on the mind often for the foreseeable future.
