Cleveland Browns: 3 Most under appreciated players
By Randy Gurzi
Wide Receiver: Rashard Higgins
With Odell Beckham, Jr. now on the team, the Cleveland receiving corps is getting a lot of attention. The fact that he’ll be paired with his former LSU teammate — and best friend ‚— Jarvis Landry has fans salivating at the thought of what this offense can be. Throw in the fact that Antonio Callaway was a great deep threat as a rookie as well as the continued development of tight end David Njoku and things are even more compelling.
Even with the upside of all those players, one guy isn’t getting the love he deserves — Rashard Higgins. Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Colorado State, Higgins has improved his route running and catching ability every season in the league.
In his third year, he was starting to put it all together and had his best campaign as a pro. Higgins finished with 39 receptions for 572 yards and four touchdowns. He did this while missing three games due to injury. While he was fully healthy though, he was arguably the most complete receiver on the field for the Browns at times.
Higgins ended up signing a restricted free agent tender and is entering a contract year now. So far in camp, there’s been talk of him growing even more as a route runner. This could lead to him finding his way onto the field as the No. 2 wideout opposite OBJ with Landry spending even more time in the slot, which would make him even more dangerous.
His name may not be the first one that comes up when thinking about Cleveland receivers, but Baker Mayfield loves him and Higgins is on the verge of becoming a force in the NFL.