What would a Packers trade for Tee Higgins look like?

Tee Higgins and the Green Bay Packers have been connected since the 2020 NFL Draft. Many Packers fans hoped Higgins would end up in Green Bay, but the team passed on that chance to select Jordan Love.

Nobody is complaining about the Love pick anymore, but could the dream of landing Higgins still come true?

The Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins, but that doesn't guarantee he won't move elsewhere this offseason. With a contract extension for star receiver Ja'Marr Chase not far away, the Bengals must determine whether they want to also pay Higgins or open the door for a tag-and-trade scenario.

Green Bay traded Davante Adams on the franchise tag three years ago, landing picks in the first and second rounds from the Las Vegas Raiders.

But what would it cost the Packers to make a deal with the Bengals for Higgins?

What would it cost for the Packers to trade for Tee Higgins?

Higgins is an excellent player, but he's not the best wide receiver in the NFL like Adams was when the Packers traded him. Green Bay received two premium picks in the Adams deal. Cincinnati may struggle to land similar compensation.

The Leap's Peter Bukowski threw out the possibility of the Packers sending the No. 41 pick to the Bengals for Higgins. As he points out, the negative reaction from both teams' fans suggests it's actually a fair deal.

Pro Football Network projects a similar deal, with the Tennessee Titans sending the No. 38 pick to Cincinnati.

The Ringer's Benjamin Solak believes it could take more than a second-rounder. He believes a team picking late in the first—Solak used the Houston Texans at No. 23 as an example—should consider making an offer.

A high second-round pick seems fair. The trading team must also figure out a multi-year extension, likely making Higgins one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. The Packers would have to factor that in.

It's unclear how interested the Bengals would be in a tag-and-trade, but they would likely want at least one premium draft pick in return.

Packers trade for Tee Higgins wouldn't make sense

The Packers have two second-rounders. They have the draft capital to make a move, but they shouldn't.

Higgins is an excellent player. In 58 regular-season games, the former second-rounder has caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. Higgins has two 1,000-yard seasons and played a starring role in the Bengals' Super Bowl run in 2021.

However, is Higgins a true WR1? That's debatable. This isn't the same scenario as when the Packers traded Davante Adams. The Raiders knew they were getting one of the league's best. But Higgins is the No. 2 wide receiver on his own team.

An argument can be made that Christian Watson—if he can stay healthy—has the talent to become a better player than Higgins. Collectively, the Packers have a talented, deep receiving corps.

Does Higgins come to Green Bay as the true WR1? Probably. Maybe? It's not guaranteed. But the Packers would be paying him to be that player, as they would need to hand him a huge new contract.

Rather than burning a premium pick and the necessary cap space for a new contract, the Packers should use those resources to build the defense.

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