Super Bowl champion compliments Tee Higgins in a way that further validates what the Bengals did this offseason

There are approximately 2,900 players on NFL rosters at this moment. To be considered one of the top 100 is quite the honor, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins can now claim that honor for his own.

Higgins was voted the 77th best player in the league by his peers this year in the NFL's annual countdown. It's the first time he's received such credit.

A future member of the list even went above and beyond in his own praise of Higgins.

Cooper DeJean lauds Tee Higgins during NFL Top 100 video

Higgins will be the second-ranked Bengals wideout on this list once Ja'Marr Chase is revealed later. The sixth-year receiver is technically the No. 2 option on his own team, but Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean sees Higgins as more than that.

"I mean I consider him a No. 1 receiver," DeJean said. "Watch him on film. He's another bigger receiver, but he can move pretty well. It's a tough matchup for any defense, so you kind of just got to go out there and play your game."

NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Bengals WR Tee Higgins comes in at No. 77! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/iSYIMH90or

— NFL (@NFL) July 15, 2025

This isn't the first time Higgins received such a compliment from a contemporary. Chase labeled Higgins as the "1A" in the Bengals' offense after the two signed massive contract extensions in March.

Higgins' running-mate saying it is one thing. One of the best young defensive backs in the game saying something similar is another thing entirely.

DeJean, who contributed a pick-six during the Eagles' dominant Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, didn't face Higgins last season when Philadelphia came to Cincinnati in Week 8 due to Higgins missing the game with a quadriceps injury. He didn't have to go up against him on the field to know what Chase and the Bengals already knew.

DeJean played well that day, making a huge fourth-down tackle on Chase that helped the Eagles cruise to a 37-17 victory. He'll be a great player in the league for years to come, just as Higgins has become on the other side of the ball. 

Having two No. 1 receivers is what the Bengals didn't want to give up this offseason. DeJean's words only validate that decision more.