CINCINNATI – Tee Higgins is still a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
You can say that today. You can say it tomorrow. And, more than likely, you can say it the day before the 2024 NFL Draft starts, the day after it ends, the day the season begins, and the day after the November trade deadline.
Yes, the Bengals are saying they will listen to offers. But getting the Cincinnati front office to act on them is a discussion for another universe.
Early-Round Wide Receiver Targets for the Bengals
That said, preparing for life without Higgins should still be top of mind for the Bengals. You can’t rule out the team taking a receiver in the first round, and it would be stunning if they don’t address the position by the end of Day 2.
It’s not just the eventual replacement of Higgins in play but the current succession plan for Tyler Boyd’s departure. Boyd has yet to sign elsewhere, but the odds of him running it back with Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow one more time are minuscule.
The Bengals are still high on the futures of 2023 fourth-round pick Charlie Jones and 2023 sixth-rounder Andrei Iosivas, but using a premium pick on a receiver in one of the deepest drafts the position has seen will be a focal point.
Before diving into some of the receivers who could be in play in Rounds 1-3 with insight from Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings, here are some other positional breakdowns for players the Bengals could target early:
Now on to the main course:
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
The No. 1 overall prospect on Cummings’ big board, Harrison (6’4”, 205 pounds) has no chance of falling to No. 18, even with his curious refusal to perform at the NFL Combine or Ohio State Pro Day.
Cummings: “You’ve heard many things about Marvin Harrison Jr., and I’m here to confirm what you’ve heard. He’s my highest-graded WR prospect ever — even over Ja’Marr Chase. It’s not hyperbole. It’s what he is.
“It’s impossible not to get excited over the NFL potential of a prospect like Harrison. He has all-encompassing ability and tools to be a true central piece for any NFL passing attack.”
Malik Nabers, LSU
The latest superstar receiver to emerge from LSU, Nabers could end up being the first receiver taken in the draft, which means the Bengals will not be in play barring a trade up, which would be completely out of character for how the organization has operated in the Duke Tobin era.
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Cummings: “The 6’0″, 200-pound Nabers was arguably the rightful Biletnikoff winner in 2023 over Harrison, with 85 catches for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“Catching passes from Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels, Nabers was simply unstoppable in 2023. He’s particularly deadly on slot fades with his explosiveness, patience, and ball-tracking ability. Nabers is an athletic powder keg and a stack specialist as a route runner with smooth hands.”
Rome Odunze, Washington
Early in the draft process — before the Kansas City Chiefs hoisted their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy — Odunze was projected in the teens, which would have put him in play for the Bengals.
But you won’t find a mock draft around that has him falling that far anymore. Does that mean he won’t? Of course not, but he’s probably the third member of the receiving triumvirate the Bengals will watch head elsewhere before they go on the clock.
Cummings: “He’s worthy of top-ten capital for a QB-needy team and has the tools to change an NFL offense. Odunze’s profile is one of the most complete to hit the circuit in recent years.
“Listed at 6’3″, 215 pounds, Odunze has all of the necessary athletic components — explosiveness, speed, fluidity, agility — and he compounds that physical foundation with rare catching instincts and budding route running nuance.”
Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters understandably was in attendance at LSU to watch Thomas and Nabers.
At 6’3” and 210 pounds, Thomas is a tick smaller than Higgins (6-4, 215), but his big-play ability and red-zone prowess match up and could make him a ready-made plug-and-play option for whenever Higgins departs.
These are the routes where Brian Thomas' athleticism shows up, even when not targeted. 6'3" and stays tight on his break (#11 bottom of screen). pic.twitter.com/x3K7fAVmRw
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 29, 2024
He’s worth early-to-mid first-round capital, and he has the upside to be an impact NFL starter with X-receiver and movement-Z versatility.
Cummings: “Thomas has all of the necessary physical tools in elite quantities. He’s an overbearing size threat with a massive catch radius, but he also carries his weight with effortless ease and has an exciting mix of explosiveness, speed, agility, and fluidity.”
Adonai “AD” Mitchell, Texas
He is the first “tweener” in the group, as in he’s probably not in play at No. 18 and likely won’t be around to be an option at No. 49.
If the Bengals trade back 6-10 spots in the first round to acquire an extra third- or fourth-round pick, Mitchell would be in the universe of players that would be good fits in the mid-to-late 20s.
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Cummings: “Mitchell grades out as a top-25 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board and a top-five WR prospect in a stacked positional class. For teams needing an X-receiver with rare 1-on-1 separation skills, Mitchell is worth mid-to-late Round 1 consideration. But he won’t be for every team.
“It’s ultimately up to what each team needs and how they intend to use their WR targets to decipher whether or not Mitchell is a fit. There’s also the question of inconsistent effort and how teams feel about his ability to maximize his output on a down-to-down basis.”
Xavier Worthy, Texas
Cincinnati fans, and likely some people in the organization, are still scarred by the selection of John Ross a few weeks after he broke the 40-yard dash record at the Combine. But don’t hold that against Worthy, whose 4.21-second time — which nipped Ross’ 4.22 — created a huge buzz.
The routes from @XavierWorthy 🤌 pic.twitter.com/ioNWL1edbg
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) March 20, 2024
But Worthy’s size (6’1”, 175 pounds) is a concern, as was the case with Ross, who was oft-injured.
Cummings: “Worthy grades out as a top-50 prospect and a potential Round 1 candidate. He’s a fringe top-five WR in a stacked WR class, and he might be the most overwhelming speed threat on the entire board.
“Worthy’s size will be frightening to some. He has an unnaturally light and lean frame, and that naturally comes with some deficiencies. That said, Worthy is a deadly offensive weapon for defensive backs to contend with in a space-dominated modern NFL.”
Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
In my latest mock draft, I have the Bengals taking Polk in the second round.
Polk can seamlessly step into the Boyd role in the slot this season, and then he can be in the Higgins role next season.
Cummings: “Polk’s fluidity grants him all-encompassing versatility, both as a separator and an offensive weapon. He can be used on motions and on multiple planes, and when working against stems in off-man and zone, he has the angle IQ, deceptive intent, and throttle control to create space for himself.
“Without a doubt, however, Polk’s best trait is his finishing ability at the catch point. Polk’s blend of body control, coordination, timing, and ball-tracking ability culminates in elite catching instincts, and his hands are almost infallible.”
Keon Coleman, Florida State
At 6’3 1/4’’ and 213 pounds, Coleman is as close to a body comp to Higgins as you’ll find in this draft. And his high-pointing, contested-catch ability evokes comparisons as well.
Coleman briefly played basketball for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, where his football abilities were stymied by a woeful offense. After transferring to Florida State, Coleman had 11 of his 50 catches go for touchdowns in 2023.
OK, so FSU WR Keon Coleman's statistical profile is a little troubling…
On the other hand… holy shitballs!! 😍😍pic.twitter.com/AChA0icluz
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) January 22, 2024
Cummings: “Coleman is my WR4 in the 2024 NFL Draft and a potential top-15 prospect. He’s a first-round talent in the impact starter range as a prospect, behind only Harrison Jr., Nabers, and Odunze on my board.
“That may be a bullish projection after just two seasons of production. Still, Coleman has shown several translatable traits during his standout 2022 campaign across all three levels of wide receiver play. At his size, Coleman is a surprisingly complete, three-level threat and can outmatch defensive backs in all phases.”
Roman Wilson, Michigan
The Bengals are seemingly collecting Wolverines on the roster, and adding a speed demon such as Wilson after a breakout season would make for a great addition.
He’s only 5’11’’ and 185 pounds, but he terrorized defenders at the Senior Bowl, including projected first-round corner Quinyon Mitchell. And Wilson has the toughness to go along with his speed.
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Cummings: “Wilson has hyper-elite explosiveness, angle-destroying long speed, hyperactive short-area agility and twitch to go along with smooth flexibility and sink as a route runner.
“Purely looking at his instant acceleration and effortless bend on out routes and digs, Wilson’s mobility profile isn’t dissimilar to 2022 first-round pick Chris Olave — but with even more top-end speed. But Olave was a much more polished and reliable prospect than Wilson coming out. Wilson still has room to keep expanding his route tree and refining his footwork at breaks.”
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