How Tee Higgins’ future with Bengals could impact their draft strategy

One of the most exciting and painful months of the whole season is about to begin for the Cincinnati Bengals. As free agency draws to a close, the NFL draft draws closer. Cincinnati has the 18th overall pick in the first round, and their choice could go in a lot of different ways. But judgments will be made based in large part on how the ongoing Tee Higgins situation plays out.

Franchise-tagged for the 2024 season, Higgins asked Cincinnati for a trade at the beginning of March. Since Cincinnati possesses the majority, if not all, of the leverage in this scenario, the Bengals have not moved him and don’t really need to.

Next year, the tag is worth little more than $20 million; either Higgins plays on it and earns that money, or he sits it out and receives no compensation. Or there might be a trade. To ensure that the Bengals receive appropriate draft compensation in a return package, a trade would presumably need to be completed either on draft night or before.

Given that the Bengals continue to seem adamant about the value that Higgins contributes to the team and their desire for him to stay in Cincinnati in 2024, it’s reasonable to wonder if a trade will take place at all.

It goes without saying that Higgins’s transfer will have a significant impact on the Bengals’ NFL Draft strategy. Cincinnati might even choose to draft a wide receiver in the first round. In light of that, let’s take a look at three wide receiver alternatives that could be available if Higgins is traded before selection day.

If the Bengals deal Higgins, they have three possibilities at wide receiver.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU.

Among the more overlooked talents in this draft is Brian Thomas Jr. Although he is still expected to be selected in the first round, his colleague Malik Nabers, who is rated somewhat higher, frequently gets more attention.

Still, Thomas had an incredible year leading an LSU offensive that was among the most productive in the nation. At six feet five inches tall, Thomas has a large frame and a broad, efficient grab radius when he comes close to the football. He is considered by many to be the fourth-best receiver in this draft class, and he has strong intangibles.

The Bayou product finished the previous season with 68 receptions, 1,177 yards, and 17 touchdowns. He nearly reached 100 yards per game and averaged 17.3 yards per reception. At age 18, Thomas might be exactly within Cincinnati’s selection range. He is reportedly going as high as 12 and as low as 20–25 in other accounts.

WR, Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, two wide receivers from Texas, are candidates to go in the mid-to-late first or early second round of 2017 draft. But given their previous performance in selecting John Ross—who has a very similar frame and barely played during his brief time with the Bengals due to injuries—the team may decide against going for Worthy.

Although Mitchell isn’t the largest wide receiver, he still has potential to grow at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. He caught 51 passes for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns in the previous season at Texas, averaging slightly over 60 yards per game.

Mitchell is currently going in the 20–32 range of the first round in numerous mocks. In the event that the Bengals believe they can still acquire him later in the first round, this might provide them flexibility to perhaps trade back in the round. Cincinnati shouldn’t reach for guys when they don’t have to because they have options in this draft.

WR, Malik Nabers, LSU

While it is extremely doubtful, Malik Nabers dropping to number 18 might become a serious possibility if the Bengals utilize Higgins as a trade bait to get from number 18 to, say, the top 12.

Nabers scored 14 touchdowns, gained 1,546 yards, and averaged 128.8 yards per game during his final season at LSU. He was reliable and had every quality that teams and scouts look for in an NFL player, including lightning-fast reflexes. On LSU’s pro day, he ran a 40-yard sprint time of 4.35.

It would be ideal if the Bengals could somehow acquire him and team him up with Ja’Marr Chase. Still, given the current state of affairs, it seems doubtful.