Draft Profile: Tee Higgins

February 5, 2020 /
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 215lb
  • College: Clemson
  • Tape watched: Texas A&M, South Carolina, Ohio State, Virginia
  • NFL Comparison: D.J. Chark

Pros

  • Athleticism
    Tee Higgins has an NFL-ready frame, with the athleticism to pair with it. Higgins isn’t just a jump ball threat, he has the separation ability to stretch the football field and demand help from safeties. He has good agility for a receiver of his size as well.

    Higgins has deceptive speed and burst. He has a quick change in gears when he runs vertical routes and after the catch.
  • Combat Catches
    A tall, muscular receiver that plays to his size, Higgins maximizes his abilities in contested situations. He showed composure over the middle, on jump balls, and on comeback routes with pressure from defenders. He rarely traps balls with his chest, instead attacking them and securing with his hands. Higgins will gain trust year one from his signal caller.
  • Release
    Too big to truly press, Higgins surprises with good release footwork as well. For a receiver with his length, he has fluid hips and precise jab steps off the line of scrimmage. He has a long first step, but not out of the ordinary of a 6’4″ receiver. Higgins looks very strong on tape with his arms and hands when fighting through contact.
  • Hands
    Tee Higgins has the kind of tape that make receiver coaches smile on routine plays. Higgins has strong hands and attacks the ball with them. He rarely lets the ball into his body, and even uses his hands on over the shoulder catches, as opposed to basket-catching. Higgins has absurd body control for his size and length, making him a true redzone target in all situations.

    Had some trouble when footballs got on him quickly on slants and hitches.

Cons

  • Short and Intermediate Route Running
    Higgins tends to snap his head around and rounds his routes underneath coverage. If he can be a little more patient and nuanced, he can keep the secondary guessing on his routes and gain some time with the football. Solely an X and Z receiver at Clemson, his routes were limited. Can help his versatility by expanding his route tree.
  • Blocking
    For someone with his size, Higgins failed to make much of an impact in the run game. Not necessarily a trait that determines his NFL success, but he can definitely improve his chances by cleaning up his blocking.

Overview

Tee Higgins quickly has become one of my favorite receivers in this class. With an enormous catch radius, great hands, and good athleticism to pair with his size and strength, Higgins should find an NFL home day one of the draft. His combine results could significantly swing that outcome for better or worse, however. The NFL has quickly moved on from big receivers that can’t move. Also, Higgins may face some of the same questions D.K. Metcalf did in 2019 regarding his route tree.