The one reason Tee Higgins might be the most undervalued wide receiver in the NFL

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins' 244 receiving yards through the first three weeks of the season is the best start to a season he's had in his NFL career, but that's not what makes him one of the most valuable offensive pieces in the NFL.

During the Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Higgins proved that he is still among the league's elite when it comes to bringing down jump balls. Not only that, but Higgins was able to continuously find soft spots in the zone, keeping the Bengals offense moving the chains against one of the NFL's elite defenses.

While it can be easy to attribute Higgins' success and value to having what is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL on the other side of the field in Ja'Marr Chase as well as an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow, there is one aspect of his game that has nothing to do with being the beneficiary of playing with elite talent.

Tee Higgins is one of the best run blocking wide receivers in the NFL

One of the areas of the game in which Higgins excels, in tandem with being one of the best pure pass catchers in the league, is run blocking. Over three weeks, Higgins finds himself in a league of his own when it comes to helping spring his fellow teammates for big runs.

According to Pro Football Focus, Higgins has the best run-blocking grade of all NFL wide receivers. The impressive part about this is that he accomplishes it while also maintaining his status as one of the best pure receivers in the NFL.

Among rushers with at least 40 carries so far in the 2026 season, Bengals running back Chase Brown is in the top 10 in yards per carry. Brown has often found himself on the precipice of big runs, but his long for the season is just 13 yards.

Higgins' size allows him to take on a run-blocking role that most NFL receivers can't handle. The Pro-Bowl receiver is able to be used in a role that is similar to tight ends, blocking nickels, safeties or sometimes linebackers that are more of a threat to the run game due to their position in the box.

Typically, a receiver like Higgins might be seen as responsible for a lack of runs that are over 20 yards, but Higgins' blocking in the box is unconventionally responsible for Brown's frequent second-level runs, even if they don't result in big plays.

Higgins' ability to be one of the league's best blockers while also making catches like the one he made against the Steelers makes him one of the most valuable offensive pieces in the NFL.

Having Chase and Burrow may give him more opportunities to make plays like this one, but they have no bearing on the effort and ability it takes to be one of the league's best run-blocking wide receivers. It may not show up on the stat sheet, but it's one of the things that is required if a team wants to make a deep run in the playoffs.

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