The addition of Tee Higgins to the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver core will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.
The Cincinnati Bengals already boasted an impressive array of pass catchers before entering day two of the NFL draft. They decided to make that unit even scarier by drafting Clemson star Tee Higgins.
Thanks to the Tennessee native’s physical gifts along with his playing style, he’s able to serve as both a deep threat and a contested-catch specialist. In fact, he had an average of 20 yards per reception, attributing to his ability down the field. That’s something Joe Burrow’s skill set will allow him to take advantage of.
Higgins on his own is a great addition but it’s the cast he’s joining that makes what Cincinnati is brewing so special. They have so many players with unique skillsets that will make it difficult for anybody to match up against them.
Higgins, as previously mentioned, will do his damage in the red zone and deep passing game thanks to his blend of size, leaping ability, and general athleticism.
A.J. Green, as Bengals fans are well aware, has the ability to get it done in all facets as one of the best receivers in all of football.
Tyler Boyd operates mostly out of the slot, relying on crisp route running and toughness to earn his production.
John Ross is of course known for his blazing speed that makes him the fastest man in the entire NFL. That, in combination with his smooth breaks in and out of routes, gives him the ability to take the top off a defense.
Let’s not forget about Auden Tate and his impeccable catch radius, giving him the ability to make acrobatic catches.
All of these weapons combine to give Joe Burrow an incredible number of options upon entering the league. It begs the question, how in the world can an opposing defense field the proper personnel to defend them?
Any given team may have one or even two physical corners capable of holding their own. But if the team deploys Green, Tate, and Higgins all at the same time, one of them is bound to get matched up against a smaller corner. Dial-up fades and watch Burrow go to work.
Sure, other franchises may have speedsters at corner but how are they going to cover the 4.22 speed of Ross alongside Green, who runs in the 4.4’s himself, without being able to use double coverage on one of them?
While organizations may employ a solid slot corner, will they have other guys that can keep up in and out of breaks with both Boyd and Ross?
Field an extra defensive back, you say? That’s just asking for Joe Mixon to punish you out of the backfield.
The front office has given Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan the luxury of fielding any number of mismatches at any given time. The playbook will be wide open and perhaps most importantly, if the offense begins to stall like it did last season, there are a wide number of adjustments that can be made to alter the attack on opposing defenses.
From size to speed to everything in between, the Bengals have the potential to field a high powered offense if they can get the offensive line puzzle figured out. Fans should be in store for many more points to be put up in the coming season.