Cincy gets Clemson receiver in Second Round
April 24, 2020 – Bradley Charles – Bluegrass Sports Nation
To no surprise, the Bengals selected LSU quarterback Joe
Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. This left many
wondering what the Bengals’ next move was going to be. What direction were they
going to go in? What did they consider the best path to success?
Some thought that defense was the way to go while others
believed the offensive line was the next position to target. There were even
reports that the Bengals were actively pursuing trading down from the No. 33
overall pick. However, in the end, the Bengals pulled the trigger on wide
receiver Tee Higgins.
Personally, I love the selection of Tee Higgins. When you
watch the tape and read the scouting reports, Higgins and A.J. Green appear to
be the exact same player. Similar to Green, Higgins has good size but still
possesses top of the line speed, agility, acceleration, and the ability to
high-point the football. Pairing Green and Higgins together should make for a
deadly combination.
While it might not have been considered a position of need
to many, I definitely thought that the Bengals needed to add a wide receiver.
They needed another playmaker for their rookie quarterback. While the
combination of A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross III, etc. is a competent corps,
considering Green’s recent injury history, the Bengals needed another weapon.
They needed another wide receiver with elite size. In Tee Higgins, I believe
the Bengals have found that weapon. With Higgins, I believe Cincinnati’s
offensive weapons are now more than enough to properly support Joe Burrow,
especially if A.J. Green can stay healthy.
I believe Higgins’ size will translate perfectly to the NFL
and specifically to the Bengals. Another interesting dynamic is that his size
is perfect for playoff weather and AFC North weather. What do I mean by that?
In December, when it’s cold and rainy, it’s a lot easier to throw to a 6-foot-4
receiver than it is a 5-foot-11 receiver. To me, that element of his game is
very exciting. In a division where you will see a lot of cold and rainy days
toward the end of the season, you want a receiver that can overcome those
conditions. Just like Green, Higgins’ height and length is perfect for that
scenario.
In 2011, the Bengals drafted wide receiver A.J. Green with
the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft and proceeded to draft quarterback Andy
Dalton in the second round with the No. 35 overall pick. In comparison, nine
years later the Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall
pick and scooped up Tee Higgins with the first pick of the second round.
However, now the Bengals need to focus on their offensive
line. To me, the offensive line is now the biggest question mark on the
Cincinnati offense. If Joe Burrow gets the time to throw, he has the necessary
weapons in place to be productive. But the question is, can he get that time?
When you have a rookie quarterback, you have got to make
sure he is properly protected. The Bengals surrendered 48 sacks last season
which ranked top 10 in sacks allowed. That number has got to go down next
season. If the Bengals can shore up their offensive line, it should make for a
fun season in the Jungle.
We’ll see what moves, if any, the Bengals make to improve their offensive line as the draft plays out. Stay tuned with BSN as we’ll have an article summarizing every Cincinnati draft pick.
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