Tee Higgins NFL Draft Prospect Profile 2020 (Scouting Report)

Clemson has provided a lot of NFL talent over the past five years, and the wide receiver position has seen no shortage. We will be talking about Justyn Ross come this time next year too. Tee Higgins is looking to be a first round draft pick, and he comes out at a good time. However he might slip to early in the second round. There are several teams in need of upgrading their receiving core, and there is a chance Higgins can find himself in a good situation early. Higgins is a big target at 6’4″, but also has that mix of speed that makes him a true threat in all areas of the game. The college production was there, and he shows many qualities for being a star wideout at the next level. While some Clemson first round wideouts have had up and down seasons in the NFL, Higgins can bring some consistency.

College Production

Year	Class	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
2017	FR	7	17	345	20.3	2
2018	SO	15	59	936	15.9	12
2018	JR	15	59	1167	19.8	13
Career		37	135	2448	18.1	27

The production at Clemson has been fairly spread out, or at least has fluctuated a bit. Tee Higgins has been consistent in the last two seasons, where he had 59 catches in each his Sophomore and Junior seasons. He had 25 touchdowns in that span, and went for over 1,100 yards in the 2019 year. Scoring 28 total touchdowns over his college career is impressive. Especially given he was lower on the depth chart in 2017 given they have had strong wide receivers over the past five seasons. Higgins was third in the ACC in receiving yards, and was first in receiving touchdowns for both 2018 and 2019.

Video Breakdown

Tee Higgins is a big bodied wideout with tremendous athleticism, and we see a lot of that on display here. Higgins is a mismatch with smaller corners, and he has excellent awareness at finding the ball. We see that on display with the first play. At the 0:30 mark we see more of that size advantage going up over the middle of the field and beats his man off the line as well. Adjusting to the throw is an underrated aspect of Higgins game. An off-balanced throw at 0:41, Higgins goes up and gets another ball at the high point. The play after we see the open field speed as he can turn plays into chunk yards. If you are looking to see Higgins speed in full force, he splits a double team on a vertical at 1:27, taking it to the house. However, he is not a high speed threat. NFL teams will be looking his way in the red zone, and at 4:09, you can see why.

Pros

• Hands
• Catch In Traffic
• Red Zone Threat
• Speed In Stride
• Size
• Competitive
• Blocking

Tee Higgins’ ability to bring in the ball is the highlight here. He has excellent hands and can really go up and get the ball. Higgins will be a threat in the red zone at the NFL level, where he can go up and get it against undersized and average sized corners. Going up in traffic was something highlighted throughout the video, even without being in the red zone. He adjusts to the ball well in the air. In terms get up speed, Higgins isn’t going to blow anyone away, but hit him in stride and he can be off to the races. He is super competitive and fights for every ball. Higgins also has great blocking ability given his size and length.

Cons

• Limited Routes In College
• Agility
• Footwork

At Clemson we didn’t see him run various amounts of routes, as he was a bit of a vertical threat. He has a good post and corner game, and also beats corners on go routes. In terms of sharper routes, his footwork and agility are not quite there. While he may have more in the arsenal than we know about, we just haven’t seen it yet. If he shows that at the combine and for teams early on, his stock will be on the rise.

NFL Comparison

Why not put Mike Williams as the comparison? Sure both went to Clemson, but both have very similar games. Williams isn’t overly fast, but can get good speed once he gets going. This is a very similar aspect to his game. Watching Williams at the NFL level, he makes some tremendous grabs going up and getting the ball. He is an excellent red zone threat, and also a threat deep. I expect Higgins to show a similar style at the next level.

Best/Worst Fit

While the last time Buffalo drafted a Clemson wideout it didn’t work out, I love Tee Higgins with the Bills. They need a big presence in the receiving game, and someone to look at in the red zone. Most of their wide receivers are on the smaller side, and also Josh Allen would get a big bump. Oakland is where I could see Higgins struggling a bit. Derek Carr isn’t someone who necessarily airs it out, and I like Higgins as a group rather than a focus piece of a passing game. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Higgins in somewhere like Philadelphia, especially with Carson Wentz.

Skill Ratings + Breakdown

Hands – 9

Tee Higgins has terrific hands, and can go up and get the ball with ease. He is aggressive, and brings the ball into his body with a fluid motion. Higgins rarely shows lapses in concentration, and is great at making catches in strides. This is easily his best attribute.

Routes – 7

This is somewhat of a range  of outcomes for the next level, where he could showcase a wider variety of routes. His footwork isn’t a big part of his game, which might have been why we saw a limited route tree at Clemson. Time will tell with this one.

Agility – 7

Higgins is a bit stiff at times, and is not an elusive wideout. He also doesn’t have great burst. We generally see his athleticism in stride. I will say he can track the ball well and make smaller adjustments when needed.

Speed – 7

The acceleration takes a bit to get going, but once he is in stride and hits the open field that is where his speed shows. Overall though his burst is a bit lackluster in comparison to some of the other wideouts.

Blocking – 7

His size and length helps him in this department, but we didn’t see a ton of it at Clemson. He shouldn’t have many issues here however.

Size – 9

At 6’4″ and over 200 pounds, Higgins has a big body to shade defenders away when needed. He is lengthy as well and can go up and get the ball.