Bengals ideal Tee Higgins replacement could fall in their laps in the draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have a chance to get a Tee Higgins caliber wide receiver without having to pay Tee Higgins money. The Bengals should prioritize signing Higgins this offseason. But if they can’t agree on a price tag, they could have a cheap replacement that would pay off big time. 

Enter Emeka Egbuka. The latest wide receiver from the long line of Buckeye receivers that are NFL-caliber. Egbuka isn’t a carbon copy of Higgins by any means. But he’s a fantastic option next to Ja’Marr Chase.

The best thing about using their first round pick to replace an offensive hole (if needed) is they get a proven talent. Assuming Egbuka falls to the No. 17 pick, which is very likely, he would instantly thrive with Joe Burrow as his quarterback. 

In the process, the Cincinnati Bengals offense doesn’t take a hit. Don’t get me wrong though, Higgins has to be the first option for Cincinnati. The Bengals are known for being cheap so they may not be able to get a deal done. 

That’s why drafting Egbuka could be the best option if they don’t. And it would allow them to be more aggressive in patching the defense together in free agency. 

The Cincinnati Bengals have the perfect Tee Higgins replacement, but it all comes down to free agency

Cincinnati will be active in free agency. With so many options and needs to address, they’ll have to be strategic. First things first, Higgins. They would be foolish to not try and negotiate a new deal. 

Higgins carried Cincinnati against Denver and him being a second option to Chase is what made the Bengals offense so potent. It’s also why if a deal doesn’t get done, they should look to address wide receiver No. 2 in the draft.

Which means their free agency period is critical to becoming an AFC contender again. How they draft will be determined, based on what they were able to address in free agency. They need help in the secondary and pass rush. 

Addressing those are almost as important as addressing who will be next to Chase. Egbuka might be their best option if he’s there. He had two 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons at Ohio State. He had 10 touchdown catches in both seasons. 

Egbuka could solve the Bengals’ multi-million dollar problem on offense. It also means if the Bengals do draft Egbuka or any receiver for that matter this upcoming draft, it means the Higgins era in Cincinnati is over.