Buffalo Bills select Clemson WR Tee Higgins in MMQB’s latest 2020 NFL mock draft.
The MMQB has the Bills doing what many currently predict for them in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Buffalo selects a wide receiver at No. 22 overall.
But which one? In the MMQB’s latest draft guesses, the pick is Clemson wideout Tee Higgins:
22. Buffalo Bills: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
The Bills signed a pair of smaller receivers—John Brown and Cole Beasley—last offseason and the duo combined for 139 catches for 1,838 yards and 12 touchdowns. Complementing Brown and Beasley well, Higgins is a big-bodied receiver with a large catch radius who attacks and high-points the football well. Higgins tied Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins for the most receiving touchdowns (27) in Clemson history.
For the Bills, Higgins makes sense. Cole Beasley and John Brown have had great seasons for Buffalo in 2019. But, moving more talent into the receiver room around them in the short term, and getting a long-term, go-to option for quarterback Josh Allen, should be a goal for the Bills this offseason.
At 6-foot-4, Higgins gives the Bills the size they lack in any receiver aside from Duke Williams. Allen does have to improve some of his deep-ball accuracy issues on his own this offseason, but if he does have a guy like Higgins in 2020 and has the same type of production as he had last season, his completion percentage of 58.2 percent could easily rise above 60 percent.
Higgins heads the Bills in this scenario as CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs are all selected ahead of Buffalo’s pick. In taking Higgins, the Bills opt for him over the likes of wideouts Laviska Shenault, Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson.
The New Orleans Saints picked Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first 2020 NFL mock draft from ESPN senior writer Todd McShay.
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The long 2020 NFL offseason is here, and the New Orleans Saints are hard at work in diagnosing the problems that sunk last year’s team. But that’s just one part of the job; they also have to analyze the free agency market and 2020 NFL Draft class to find the best available fits for their needs. It’s challenging to be sure, but also fun to speculate about, meaning everyone has opinions on which way the Saints should go next.
But the latest take comes from ESPN senior writer Todd McShay, who specializes in covering the NFL draft along with Mel Kiper. And McShay sees wide receiver as the clearest, most-pressing draft need for the Saints at this stage in the offseason. He’s projecting the Saints to pick Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins:
Outside of Michael Thomas, Jared Cook and Alvin Kamara, what do Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense really have in the passing game? Not much. Ted Ginn Jr. was the second-most productive wide receiver behind Thomas with just 421 yards, and the next best was Tre’Quan Smith with a measly 234 yards. Whether or not it’s Brees throwing the passes in 2020 — yeah, quarterback is a position to watch here, too — the Saints have to address that lack of depth. The 6-foot-4 Higgins can make guys miss with his strength and will come down with anything thrown near him. He averaged a hair shy of 20 yards per catch this past season for the Tigers.
Higgins is, as McShay pointed out, something of a playmaker. He’s a tall, agile receiver that might resemble a young Julio Jones, but with greater college production (Higgins has caught 25 touchdown passes in his last 30 games, while Jones scored just 15 touchdown receptions in 40 games at Alabama). He’d be a tremendous fit in the Saints offense alongside Thomas, and would do a lot to help extend the viability of Drew Brees, if he returns — or provide a welcome boost to Teddy Bridgewater or Taysom Hill, should someone else start under center in 2020.
Two four-round mock drafts for the Buffalo Bills at the 2020 NFL Draft.
The NFL offseason has been underway for the Buffalo Bills for some time now. The league year does not officially end under March, but Super Bowl LIV between the Chiefs and 49ers is one day away.
Once the final whistle blows and the confetti hits the turf in Miami on Sunday, that’s the unofficial start of the NFL offseason for everyone.
To celebrate, Bills Wire’s Kyle Silagyi and Nick Wojton pushed Bills Mafia into the offseason with two dueling four-round mock drafts for Buffalo.
Take your pick between both below:
Kyle’s pick:
22. RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor. Credit: Richard Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports
Though unlikely, there is a scenario where the top four-or-five wide receivers are off the board when Buffalo goes on the clock at pick No. 22.
Should this situation occur, the team should take a long look at Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.
Though his stock has fallen in recent weeks, Taylor is still widely looked at as a top-three ballcarrier in this year’s class. A well-rounded back with elite vision, Taylor rushed for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns throughout his three years at Wisconsin, winning the Doak Walker Award as college football’s best running back in 2018 and 2019.
Taylor was a high-usage player in Madison; there was nothing creative about the way the Badgers got the ball into his hands. The majority of his runs went up the middle or off-tackle, and this suited the 21-year-old, as he was often able to identify holes with his first-class vision and make the most of them with his strong footwork.
Taylor has solid speed and power, and he projects to be an impactful running back at the next level straight away. He would immediately make Buffalo’s backfield one of the league’s brightest, as his downhill-style of running would effectively complement the open-field shiftiness of Devin Singletary.
Though wide receiver is undoubtedly a bigger need for the Bills, selecting Taylor would perhaps unintentionally help address that positional deficiency. With Taylor and Singletary manning the backfield, Buffalo would become a ground-oriented team, relying on the two backs to consistently move the ball. This would open up opportunities in the play-action passing game, creating more chances for wide receivers to get open on called passes through a commitment to the ground game.
Jonathan Taylor makes everything look smooth. Great footwork here to jump cut on this and break it the house.
Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins. Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The writing on the wall just seems too apparent ahead of April’s draft. The Bills needing a wide receiver isn’t anything new. The last time the Bills had a premium No. 1 wideout was back in Sammy Watkins’ days with the team.
While John Brown and Cole Beasley had profitable seasons with the Bills in 2019, Buffalo needs a top, young prospect in that group. Tee Higgins would be exactly that.
That writing has been there because for about a season or two, many draft pundits predicted the 2020 draft will be one of the deepest classes for the position, The Bills knew that too, so they’re going to take their swing and that’s why they didn’t last season.
In Higgins, Buffalo would get exactly what they need. That big-bodied target that quarterback Josh Allen has lacked. While the Bills would be smart to not just pin-point a guy that’s tall, realistically, Higgins’ pre-draft selection in mock drafts has been right around where the Bills pick. It wouldn’t be a reach and early outlooks appear the Bills choosing between Higgins and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault here, both talented receivers the Bills could use.
The big-bodied target is just the right ticket the Bills offense could use at the 22nd pick, according to the selection’s breakdown:
School: Clemson | Year: Junior
What do you give a big-armed quarterback with spotty accuracy? I suggest a big, downfield wideout with good ball skills and an incredible catch radius.
For the Bills, Higgins makes sense. Cole Beasley and John Brown have had great seasons for Buffalo in 2019. But, moving more talent into the receiver room around them in the short term, and getting a long-term, go-to option for quarterback Josh Allen, should be a goal for the Bills this offseason.
At 6-foot-4, Higgins gives the Bills the size they lack in any receiver aside from Duke Williams. Allen does have to improve some of his deep-ball accuracy issues on his own this offseason, but if he does have a guy like Higgins in 2020 and has the same type of production as he had last season, his completion percentage of 58.2 percent could easily rise above 60 percent just by having a guy that’s better at making longer, contested catches.
In the NFL.com mock by Lance Zierlein, Higgins is the third wideout taken off the board. Presumed No. 1 wideout prospect Jerry Jeudy from Alabama falls all the way to the Raiders at No. 12 and then Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb is still on the board when the Eagles select at No. 21, one pick ahead of the Bills, and Philly land him.
For Kiper Jr., it was Clemson All-American Tee Higgins with pick No. 21.
21. Philadelphia Eagles
Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Philadelphia has to upgrade at wide receiver — its two top pass-catchers in 2019 were tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert — and the depth and talent in this class could set up perfectly for the Eagles to have several options here. At 6-foot-4, Higgins is the biggest wideout of the first-round talents, a jump-ball specialist and a touchdown machine (25 the past two seasons). He’s not super explosive like Lamb, Jeudy or Ruggs, but he’ll box out cornerbacks in the red zone and pick up first downs, not unlike Alshon Jeffery, who struggled to stay on the field this season. The Eagles would have liked more from second-round pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in Year 1, and I still like his upside, but Higgins has No. 1 receiver talent. As is always the case for Philadelphia, this is another spot to watch for an edge rusher.
At Clemson, Higgins finished his career with 135 catches for 1,167 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and 27 touchdowns.
25 of those scores came in the past two years. This past season, Higgins averaged 19.8 yards per catch.
Buffalo Bills select Clemson WR Tee Higgins in Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft for NFL.com/ NFL Network.
Do you want to see the Buffalo Bills take a wide receiver with their first-round pick at the 2020 NFL draft? NFL.com does too.
In Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft ahead of the upcoming selection day in April, the Bills land a popular name with their pick. The move is Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.
Here’s how the pick is broken down:
The Bills need to add a big-bodied playmaker. Higgins is a jump-ball specialist.
Depending on what the Bills do in free agency before the draft, expect Higgins to be a popular name connected to the team. The Bills could use any type of wideout addition to their team, but Higgins’ 6-foot-4 frame is really what excites.
John Brown and Cole Beasley currently sit atop Buffalo’s depth chart, and could even if Higgins was drafted by the team. But not only are those two aging, they’re also on the shorter side. They can’t exactly go for the jump balls like Higgins can.
In NFL.com’s mock draft, Higgins is the fourth wideout off the board, behind Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Alabama’s Henry Ruggs.
Pro Football Focus listed two prospects as perfect fits for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Indianapolis Colts will be holding the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft when it arrives at the end of April with needs on both sides of the ball.
Most would argue that their biggest needs are at quarterback, wide receiver and interior defensive line. How the Colts will go about addressing their needs is always a mystery. General manager Chris Ballard likes to keep things close to the vest.
Higgins can be what they wanted Devin Funchess to be in their offense — a receiver with a massive catch radius to move the chains. Higgins has added big-play ability, though, as he averaged nearly 20.0 yards per catch this year.
Higgins might not be the best separator, which could give the Colts pause, but his production and size could also intrigue them.
The other “perfect fit” will be just fine in the eyes of Colts fans.
Later — QB Jordan Love, Utah State
Owning the Redskins’ pick at the top of the second round is going to pay off in a big way. It could very well net them their quarterback of the future if Love’s disappointing junior campaign causes him to slip out of the first round.
By the time the draft comes around, the Colts are likely going to have to use their first-round pick if they want Love. If he’s the guy, there is no sense in waiting until the second round for him to possibly get snatched up.
He caught 59 passes for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019.
Another underclassman receiver has added his talents to a deep class or wide receivers. The latest is Clemson receiver Tee Higgins. He announced via social media that he is skipping his senior season at Clemson to enter the 2020 NFL draft.
Higgins, listed at 6-4 and 215 pounds, improved his production each year at Clemson. In 2019, he caught 59 passes for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also added a 36-yard touchdown run as well, his only rushing attempt in three seasons.
He could be a first-round pick.
He is one of the top receiver prospects in the draft, and the receiver class is expected to be very talented.
With his size and speed, he would make a nice addition to the Arizona Cardinals’ offense, but they have the eighth overall pick in the draft. As of now, it probably is too high to select Higgins and, when the Cardinals select in the second round, he probably will already have been drafted.
But as the predraft evaluations progress with the combine and interviews, we will see where he ends up in receiver rankings and big boards.
Buffalo Bills two-round mock draft via The Athletic.
Every NFL team could use more playmakers. Who wouldn’t want more?
Sometimes it’s hard to decide between adding a new one on offense or defense, though.
In The Athletic‘s recent two-round mock draft, the Bills decide to grab one on both sides of the ball, offense and defense, with their first two picks.
The Bills land Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round then jump over to defense and select Damon Arnette, the Ohio State cornerback, with the No. 54 overall pick in the second round.
Here’s how Dane Brugler breaks down the Higgins pick:
22. Buffalo Bills — Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
While there is pass-catching talent on the Bills, their top three wide receivers in 2019 were all under 5-foot-10 (John Brown, Cole Beasley, Isaiah McKenzie). Giving quarterback Josh Allen a tall, rangy target with a tremendous catch radius like Higgins should only help his development as a passer.
Along with the Bills perhaps needing height, there’s two other, much more simple reasons, the Bills could use Higgins. From top-to-bottom, Buffalo lacks depth in their receiver room. Brown and Beasley had positive seasons, but even McKenzie didn’t have a super profitable season, although he is versatile.
Additionally, how about just some youth? Brown and Beasley are multi-season vets and Buffalo could stand to use a potential No. 1 receiver to groom while that top-duo still has plenty left in the tank.
In Arnette, the Bills, in this scenario, might just being going after the “best player” left on their board. That’s something Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has consistently said he likes to put himself in a position to do at NFL drafts.
If Arnette is the pick, he’ll add a lengthy cornerback presence across from Tre’Davious White, standing at six-feet tall. Arnette is also a senior, something coveted by the Bills.
However, it must be mentioned that current No. 2 cornerback Levi Wallace is an exclusive-right free agent, meaning the Bills will bring him back at the league-minimum price tag. Wallace can decline that offer from the Bills, but he’ll have to sit out the entire 20202 season if he does.
Eagles land Clemson WR Tee Higgins in latest mock draft
The Philadelphia Eagles are need of explosive players on offense and the 2020 NFL Draft will play host to the best set of wideouts to enter the leagues in a long time.
The Eagles have mentioned with names like Justin Jefferson from LSU, Henry Ruggs III from Alabama and most often, one dynamic skill player from Clemson.
In the latest 2020 NFL mock draft from USA Today, Carson Wentz gets the weapon he needs when Clemson star wide receiver Tee Higgins, falls to the Eagles at pick No. 21.
21. Eagles — Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson: The necessity for the Eagles to upgrade Carson Wentz’s receiving corps was evident long before Philadelphia wound down the season with a skeleton crew of pass-catchers. The simple solution: Let Higgins go to work on the outside and increase Wentz’s margin for error with his jump-ball skills.
Higgins can get it done through the air and on the ground as seen here against LSU on Monday night.
During his final season at Clemson, Higgins caught 59 passes for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-4, 215-pound Higgins would provide the Eagles with a playmaker who has the size of Alshon Jeffery but the big-play ability of DeSean Jackson.
Last season at Clemson, Higgins averaging 19.8 yards per receptions. If you add on the lineage of Tiger stars in the NFL like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, and Mike Williams, Higgins should have no problem continuing the strong receiver play in the pros.
