It’s no secret the Cincinnati Bengals struck gold when wide receiver Tee Higgins fell to them in the second round of last year’s draft. The former Clemson standout hit the ground running, hauling in 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns in year one.
The future is incredibly bright for Higgins, especially considering he pieced together an outstanding first season at just 22-years of age. He’s only going to continue to improve, and with Joe Burrow set to return, WhoDey Nation is in for a show next year.
Nate Burleson of Good Morning Football sees things that way too. He had this to say about the 6’4, 216-pound wideout,
"“You have a young superstar in the making and I guarantee you this, he [Higgins] had 908 yards this season, he will have over 1,000 yards and make the Pro Bowl.”"
Quite the prediction, but one that certainly isn’t outside the realm of possibility. Higgins lost the benefit of catching passes from Burrow in week 11 last week, undoubtedly limiting his stat line. Plus, he didn’t crack the starting lineup until week three and didn’t participate in the majority of the season finale due to injury.
With a fully healthy campaign and reunion with Burrow, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Higgins doesn’t eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.
As for a Pro Bowl selection? If Burleson’s prediction comes true, Higgins will be the first player the Bengals drafted since 2013 to make an appearance at the event.
"You have a young superstar in the making." - @nateburleson on @teehiggins5
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 25, 2021
(via @gmfb) pic.twitter.com/EKJyWu3o7R
Is Tee Higgins capable of being a number one option?
So far, the Bengals’ offseason has mostly revolved around one question: Should Cincinnati nab an offensive tackle in round one, or is Ja’Marr Chase the ideal selection?
While it’s undeniable that the team already has tremendous receiving options in Higgins and Tyler Boyd, many, namely Pro Football Focus, don’t view either as a “true number one threat” in the same way that they do Chase.
However, the rhetoric used by Burleson suggests that Higgins is indeed on his way to becoming a number one option. After all, there is no such thing as a superstar WR2.
The debate between the lines of thinking from PFF and Burleson could dictate the direction the Bengals go this offseason. If Zac Taylor and co. think Higgins can be the number one outside option, it could be Penei Sewell or tight end Kyle Pitts that end up in stripes. If they believe the receiving corps. could use a little extra juice, it could be a Burrow-Chase LSU reunion in the Queen City.