Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

In the latest installment of our “Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft” series, we take a closer look at Clemson Tigers WR Tee Higgins, who’s jockeying for early-round status in an extremely talented group of wide receivers.

The defending champion Clemson Tigers will be a must-watch team in 2019 for more than just their weekly wins and march toward a second-consecutive playoff and national championship appearance. They’re also overflowing with NFL talent, including junior WR Tee Higgins.

Higgins was viewed as Clemson’s most talented recruit in the 2017 class after finishing his high school career as a top-20 overall player in the country. He was among the top wide receiver prospects in that year’s recruiting cycle and he hasn’t disappointed early in his career as a Tiger.

Higgins led all Clemson receivers in 2018 with 59 catches for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns and named Second Team All-ACC at year’s end. Through two seasons as a Tiger, Higgins has 76 catches for 1,281 yards and 14 scores.

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Physically, Higgins is a tall and wiry receiver standing an unofficial 6-4, 205 pounds. He borders on skinny and could use another 10 pounds of bulk to maximize his above-average size and catch radius.

Athletically, Higgins is a coordinated route-runner who maintains good pacing into and out of his breaks, but he isn’t an exceptionally explosive guy. He’s a bit heavy-footed in his running style and while he shouldn’t be classified as slow, he certainly doesn’t project as a player who will create much buzz at the NFL Combine.

He ran a 4.75 40-yard dash as a high school recruit and while he’s likely gotten faster since then, he’ll probably be a 4.6-guy when the combine and pro day circuit arrives.

Higgins’ best asset as a receiver is his exceptional catch radius and leaping ability. His natural physical make-up gives him an immediate advantage against average-sized cornerbacks. That mismatch also keeps cornerbacks on their heels in anticipation of downfield jump-ball throws which allows Higgins to break off his routes for easy separation and chunk plays.

He has reliable hands and can snag the ball away from his frame with consistency. He won’t make too many huge gains after the catch, however, because of his lacking open-field explosiveness.

Higgins won’t be targeted by NFL teams to be a field-flipper. Instead, he profiles as a fantastic red zone weapon and a chain-moving possession receiver in the pros. The league may be trending toward smaller, quicker slot-type receivers, but players with Higgins’ size and boxout ability will always be in demand.

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If he can put a few explosive plays on tape in 2019, add about 10 pounds to his frame, Higgins profiles as a player who will shoot up draft boards because of his natural physical traits. He’ll begin this season as a Day-2 player with big-time upside.

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