Players:
1. Ja’Marr Chase
85. Tee Higgins
83. Tyler Boyd
19. Auden Tate
11. Trent Taylor
80. Mike Thomas
17. Stanley Morgan
16. Trent Irwin
14. Scotty Washington
12. Riley Lees
The Bengals have invested a lot of draft capital at the WR position over the past several years. Going into the 2021 season, it not only looks like the strongest position on the Bengals, but also one of the best in the league.
After a decade of service, the Bengals said goodbye to the face of their franchise, in AJ Green. While he wasn’t playing up to his usual standards, Green’s departure still opened up a large number of targets that needed to be filled.
The Bengals did just that by selecting Ja’Marr Chase with the 5th pick in the draft. Chase should slide right into Green’s old role and will give the Bengals a dangerous weapon on the outside. During the team’s OTA practices, Burrow and Chase seemed to pick up where they left off after winning the College Football National Championship together to conclude the 2019 season. He was heavily targeted at LSU which, in all likelihood, will remain the case in Cincinnati. Chase gives the Bengals someone who can stretch the field vertically, something the offence has been needing, not only since AJ Green’s injury, but probably since Marvin Jones left in 2016. While he doesn’t possess the same game breaking speed that a guy like John Ross does, his power, build up speed, and ability in the air will be a welcomed addition.
Moving on to the opposite side of Chase, Tee Higgins will be looking to build on his impressive rookie season. He fell just short of 1000 yards, but poor QB play towards the end of the year is partially to blame. Reports have indicated that he has been working hard all throughout the offseason, not only to get stronger, but also faster. Adding more speed to his game will definitely help him take it to the next level.
As is the case with the top 2 spots, the 3rd spot — or slot position — is also locked into place. Tyler Boyd has quietly developed into one of the best slot receivers in the game, serving as a chain mover, first for Andy Dalton, and now Joe Burrow. Boyd has gone over 1000 yards in 2 of the last 3 years, however, with Chase now in the mix and Uzomah returning from injury, 1000 is not a lock. That being said, Boyd’s value goes beyond just the stats. With Chase in the fold as more of a downfield threat, it should allow Boyd more room underneath. While this may not produce as many yards, his number of receptions could very well go up and this should help the Bengals on 3rd down.
Of the top 3 guys, you could make an argument for any one of them to lead the team in targets. However, we now move into the depth/rotational guys. Auden Tate seems just about locked in for that #4 spot. While he probably doesn’t have the speed to be a consistent member of the top 3, he is a great player to have in the 4 spot. Tate brings great size and an unbelievably good catch radius to the table. He didn’t quite see as much playing time last year as most would have liked, but an increased role could be beneficial, considering his unique skill set.
The battle for the 5th position is one to watch, but it seems like Trent Taylor is the front runner. He flashed some productivity with the 49ers before injuries put an end to it. His ability on special teams, specifically as a return man, heavily increases his odds of making his roster. If he is able to secure the spot, it seems his role will be similar to that of the now departed Alex Erickson.
Mike Thomas earned a spot out of camp last year and will once again be fighting for a roster spot this year. He had a smaller role in the passing game early in the year, but his targets faded as the year went on. Most of his contributions came as a gunner on special teams and he showed the ability to get down the field and disrupt opposing returners. While he is not locked into a spot, Thomas is likely someone that special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons will be wanting to keep.
Stanley Morgan is someone who will need to fight hard for a roster spot, as up to this point, he has not shown much at all as a receiver. In a similar way to Thomas, his main role has been on special teams. Typically, these guys are dime a dozen — and many will put Morgan in that category as well. However, others will value him more, not only because he can contribute on special teams, but because he has arguably been the team’s best gunner when given the opportunity. Stanley Morgan will most likely be fighting with Thomas for the 6th spot and/or a spot on the practice squad. If he is unable to beat out Thomas, he will need to hope that his play was good enough to keep 7 receivers on the roster.
Also in the mix for the 7th spot and/or a spot or two on the practice squad are Trent Irwin, Scotty Washington, and Riley Lees. Of the three, Irwin is the only one who has seen game action with the Bengals, perhaps giving him an edge. However, he only has one reception and most of his snaps have come as a blocker. Washington, meanwhile, will look to use his size and catch radius to impress. He has a similar playstyle as Tate in the sense that he wins through the air and not with speed. Lees seems to be the longest shot to even make the practice squad. College production wasn’t great and he still needs a lot of fine tuning. However, if we have learned anything from the past, it is to not count out anyone completely.
The Bengals top 3-4 spots do seem to be locked into place, but the battle for the backend roster spots should be interesting.
Modified Homescreen image via: Erik Drost (CC)