If you’ve been following any of the mock drafts over the last two months, then you know which receivers are typically given to the Raiders at No. 12; Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy. However, there is another name that needs to be considered at that spot; Clemson’s Tee Higgins.
In a recent mock draft by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, the Raiders grabbed Higgins at No. 12 after Jeudy and Lamb were selected inside of the top-10. While it may feel a tad early for Higgins, there is a decent chance he won’t be available when the Raiders pick again the first round.
Higgins is one of the biggest receivers in this draft class as he was listed at 6’4, 216 pounds. While his size suggests he’s just a possession receiver, that is far from the truth. In 2019, Higgins averaged nearly 20 yards per reception for the Tigers. He caught an incredible 73.8 percent of his targets and scored 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
In his recently debuted prospect rankings, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Higgins to A.J. Green of the Bengals and graded him as one of the best wide receiver prospects in this class. Take a look at Zierlein’s thoughts on Higgins entering the NFL:
His size and “above the rim” talent make him a uniquely dangerous playmaker deep and in the red zone. The transition to NFL press corners will be an early challenge that could take some time to solve, but he’s an instinctive ball-winner whose traits should win out and make him a very good NFL starter.
While Higgins might not have the same speed and quickness as Green, their games are somewhat similar as they both can win anywhere on the field. If the Raiders are looking to add more size to their wide receiver corps to pair with Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow, Higgins might be one of the best options in the first round.
