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Bengals Select A.J. Green Clone Tee Higgins: Instant Grade and Analysis

By Aaron Burd

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 13: Wide Receiver Tee Higgins #5 of the Clemson Tigers on a catch and run during the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU defeated Clemson 42 to 25. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 13: Wide Receiver Tee Higgins #5 of the Clemson Tigers on a catch and run during the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU defeated Clemson 42 to 25. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off the second round by selecting Tee Higgins. Here, we give our instant analysis and grade of the pick. 

The Cincinnati Bengals have a new prospect in stripes. Joe Burrow has yet another weapon at his disposal, with outstanding wide receiver Tee Higgins now on his way to the Queen City. The Clemson wideout earned 1,167 receiving yards along with 13 touchdowns in his last year in college. Most interestingly, he averaged 19.8 yards per reception, giving the team another deep threat.

Prior to the pick, a pair of legendary wide receivers were clamoring for the Bengals front office to make this very pick, which has to be reassuring. First Michael Irvin was vouching for Higgin’s ability. Then, Ochocinco made his preferences clear, as you can see in the tweet below.

https://twitter.com/ochocinco/status/1253824339578888194

Hunter Bittinger Grade: B+

It’s hard to argue with what the Bengals are doing here. Giving Burrow an offensive arsenal of Higgins, Green, Boyd, Ross, Mixon, and Tate is going to give opposing defenses nightmares. If Burrow and Higgins can build chemistry together, they’re going to be a dangerous duo.

The red zone offense is about to get much better. Defensive coordinators will be left wondering how they’re going to field the proper personnel to cover the Bengals’ big receiving options.

It’s hard to ignore who the Bengals left on the board. It would have been nice to give Burrow some extra protection in the form of Josh Jones or another big man upfront.

In addition, the team probably could’ve moved off the 33rd pick and still picked up Higgins while gathering extra draft capital. You can’t fault them too much, as reports surfaced that they attempted to do so. Perhaps they just couldn’t find a partner.

Overall, it’s a good pick. You have to believe Higgins was the top player on their board and the Bengals went out to nab him. He’s a self-proclaimed Bengals fan and a great addition.

Aaron Burd Grade: B+

I like this pick a lot for the Bengals. They get an A.J. Green clone in Tee Higgins who actually models his game after the Cincinnati great. It’s important to build around new quarterback Joe Burrow and adding a future #1 wide receiver is a great way to start.

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The only knock on this pick for me is that I liked Denzel Mims and Josh Jones slightly more. I would have taken one of them at 33, but Higgins is a great player who can be Burrow’s favorite weapon for years to come. The wide receiver from Clemson is a really solid pick.