Browns Select CSU Rams Receiver Rashard Higgins In 5th Round

DENVER (The Sports Xchange/CBS4) – Former CSU Rams wide receiver Rashard Higgins was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round on Saturday.

In their ratings, he came in as the 80th best overall player available in this year's NFL Draft, and the 10th best wide receiver.

Higgins' career production (239 catches for 3,649 yards and 31 touchdowns) is impressive considering that he left the Rams with a year of eligibility remaining. Some question how much the presence of former CSU head coach Jim McElwain (now at Florida) and quarterback Garrett Grayson (now backing up Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints) had on Higgins' breakout 2014 season. That's when the flashy wideout, affectionately nicknamed Hollywood, certainly looked the part of an A-list star with 96 grabs for an NCAA-best 1,750 yards and 17 touchdowns. Higgins was good but not great in 2015 (75-1,062-8) with McElwain and Garrett elsewhere, leading some to question if perhaps he lacks ideal wattage.

– Quote to note: "When I was young, I played defense, I played Little League (football) and this kid caught a pass and I just came down and drilled him and it was just like since that game my coach said 'keep doing things like that and I'm going to start calling you Hollywood.' The name just stuck around and I'm Hollywood Higgins now." — Higgins, when asked about his "Hollywood" monicker.

– Frankly: Higgins is a smooth route-runner who generally catches the ball cleanly. There is no denying that his production was influenced by the talent around him at CSU. He showed a lack of ideal explosiveness in drills at the Combine and Pro Day and may now wish he didn't feature himself in such a hot spotlight.