The Cincinnati Bengals still have a chance to retain wide receiver Tee Higgins before free agency opens in March. If not, the team will be in search for a weapon to pair with Ja’Marr Chase either in free agency or in the draft as the team will look to end their two-season playoff drought in 2025.
That potential draft scenario played out in the first mock draft from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. With the 17th pick, the Bengals select Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
“This pairing might be the most perfect scheme/roster fit in the entire mock. McMillan plays similarly to Drake London and Tee Higgins,” wrote Zierlein about the Wildcats’ star receiver. McMillan posted back-to-back seasons of at least 1,300 yards and had at least eight touchdowns in all three seasons at Arizona, catching 26 in total.
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McMillan is considered by many to be the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in this class and for a team in Cincinnati that is always looking for weapons, landing such a player at No. 17 could end up being a very nice option. Some may want an edge rusher here for the Bengals and this mock does have the Bengals passing up players like Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M.
The Bengals’ ultimate decision on Higgins could end up going a long way toward the direction they go in the first round of the draft on April 24.
