Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 215 pounds
School: Clemson Tigers
Tee Higgins 2020 NFL Draft Profile
There weren’t very many players more coveted as part of the 2017 recruiting class than Tee Higgins. Rivals.com rated him as the 15th best player in the nation regardless of position. The Oak Ridge, TN native concomitantly received scholarship offers from quite a few big-time programs. But he was an early commit to Dabo Swinney‘s Clemson program as he gave his pledge on the Fourth of July ahead of his high school senior year. And he showcased his immense potential by accounting for 22 total touchdowns that season. It included 18 receiving scores as well as three via punt returns and even a pick-six on defense.
Higgins made a fairly noticeable impact as a true freshman once on campus. His two touchdown catches and 345 receiving yards ranked third and fourth on the team respectively. And he showcased his potential as a vertical threat by averaging 20.3 yards per catch which actually led the team. The following year, he emerged as one of Trevor Lawrence‘s favorite targets, catching a team-leading 12 touchdowns. In the end, he and Justyn Ross accounted for a pretty even amount of yardage with Ross managing 1,000 and Higgins 936. But they were both important components of the offense for a team that outscored Notre Dame and Alabama 74-19 in the College Football Playoff en route to a national title.
In 2019, though, Higgins upstaged Ross by accumulating 1,167 yards receiving compared to his 865. The tandem also accounted for 21 total touchdown passes with Higgins managing 13. For his efforts, Higgins garnered first-team All-ACC honors. And despite losing to LSU in the national championship game, Higgins displayed that he can feature in the run game as well. In the second quarter, he took a run play 36 yards to the house that actually gave Clemson a 17-7 lead at the time.
Strengths
- looks the part of a go-to NFL-caliber number one receiver;
- has the overall length that teams at the next level crave;
- a legitimate vertical threat in contested catch situations;
- hard to bring down after the catch;
- boasts a significant extra gear once the ball’s in his hands;
- effortlessly brings the ball in with soft hands;
- pretty adept at separating from press at the line of scrimmage;
- should be an asset on end-arounds and jet sweeps;
- never afraid to mix things up from a physicality standpoint;
- lived up to his billing as a prized high school recruit;
- shined at one of the top college programs during his three years at Clemson.
Weaknesses
- a somewhat thin frame in need of bulk;
- route tree is a bit rudimentary at this point;
- route-running is a bit overly rounded and requires more sharpness;
- elusive in space but generally brought down on initial contact;
- needs to improve as a blocker.
NFL Comparison: Mike Williams
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
Projection: Middle to late first round
Bottom Line
Tee Higgins finished his collegiate career in fairly elite company from the standpoint of Clemson football. His 27 touchdown passes were tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins as the most in the history of the program. Both have become regular contributors in the pros with Watkins having just won Super Bowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs. And anyone who follows the NFL is well-aware that the Houston Texans benefit regularly from the exploits of Hopkins.
There’s every indication that Higgins is capable of following in the footsteps of those two talented pass-catchers. He catches just about everything thrown his way and is particularly adept at making circus catches in the presence of opposing corners. Though he gets tackled too easily, he’s incredibly difficult to bring down in space as he’s able to elude would-be tacklers with his pace. If he can develop as an overall route-runner, he has all the makings of an impact number one receiver at the next level.
