Round 2, Pick 33: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Instant Grade: A-
While this pick was somewhat unexpected, it isn’t necessarily a bad pick. Higgins provides depth for the Bengals’ wide receiver room and is most likely going to end up being A.J. Green’s successor. Who was Higgins’ NFL player comparison? A.J. Green. There were many quality players available, and the Bengals got one.
Round 3, Pick 65: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
Instant Grade: B+
The Bengals finally address one of the biggest holes on their roster, picking linebacker Logan Wilson at pick 65. Wilson is one of the best cover linebackers in this draft, but he is also effective at stopping the run. This is a great pick to fill a need for Cincinnati, but it is uncertain if he was the best player available with both Zach Baun and Josh Jones sitting there.
Day 3 Grade: A-
Round one and two were very reminiscent of what the Bengals did in 2011, when they drafted A.J. Green and Andy Dalton in rounds one and two respectively. This time, they picked Joe Burrow round one, and Tee Higgins round two. These two are going to be expected to build similar chemistry as to what Dalton and Green had and carry the Bengals for the foreseeable future.
Logan Wilson should be able to slide in and immediately help the Bengals’ defense. Linebacker play was a tremendously bad area in Cincinnati last season, and Wilson is a well-rounded linebacker who can cover and stop the run. This is a great pick in the 3rd round. It appears the Bengals have picked up three good starters in the first three rounds.
