Cincinnati Bengals

HEIGHT: 6'3 1/2"

WEIGHT: 319 lbs

      

POSITIVES

—Has the girth, play strength and anchor to excel in a power-based run scheme. 

—Uses his big body to bang and create instant stalemates with a same-foot/same-shoulder technique to dig out nose tackles and generate vertical displacement on shades.

—Ultra-physical and violent playing style to crater and secure defensive tackles over for guards on double-teams and when uncovered looking for work in pass protection.

—Surprisingly nimble, patient and agile on pulls to line up his target on the move.

—Finds his anchor quickly against the bull-rush and shows the patience to mirror and survive against moves across his face.

—Wore out the Tennessee front on the 2020 tape.

        

NEGATIVES

—Not a fit for teams that favor wide/outside zone run schemes.

—Minimal stop/start quickness and change of direction on outside zone climbs up to the second level; struggles to intersect shifty, decisive backers.

—Tends to dip his head, bend at the waist and overextend on back blocks and gap exchanges; causing him to miss his target and get shed with ease.

—Adequate hand placement results in below-average control on defenders past initial contact.

          

2020 STATISTICS

—Eight starts.

—Missed the last two games of the year because of arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus tears in both knees.

       

NOTES

—36 career game appearances with 26 starts (22 at center, four at right guard).

—SEC Academic Honor Roll and the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll for Fall 2019.

—Top-three guard recruit in the nation coming out of Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia.

—Competed in shot put and notched a personal record of 36 feet, 6.5 inches at the 2017 Region 1-6A Championships.

      

OVERALL

Hill is a two-year starter in Georgia's duo/inside-zone/power-heavy scheme with a high-cut, wide-bodied frame and a ton of mass in his lower half. He is a scheme-dependent player who won't work in an outside-zone based system because of marginal change of direction and short-area quickness, but he specializes in digging out and displacing nose tackles on double-teams with very good play strength, girth and square power, plus enough agility to be an effective puller.

While Hill is a mauling banger inside who can secure lanes within a power run game, he shows an element of patience and understanding of how to creatively get guys blocked, which makes him an intriguing depth piece at guard or center with the potential to start games in systems predicated on a downhill, power run game.

        

GRADE: 7.0/10 (Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 164/300

POSITION RANK: IOL19

PRO COMPARISON: John Miller 

       

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

HEIGHT: 6'5⅜"

WEIGHT: 305 lbs

        

POSITIVES

—Excellent length (35 ¼).

—Purposefully keeps his hips square in his pass set until the intersect point.

—Good foot quickness with the range to get to his spot against Wide 9 rushers attacking the corner.

—Shows willingness to try a variety of hand techniques and pass sets to keep rushers guessing.

—Has the desired mobility in his hips to flex, bend and transition into his anchor quickly against speed to power.

—Plays with an aggressive mindset to stay engaged, strain and finish when he gets defenders off balance.

—Gained nearly 20 pounds and had an excellent couple of days of practice at the Senior Bowl at 294 pounds.

         

NEGATIVES

—Slight frame and lean build that suggests it may be difficult for him to maintain 300 pounds long-term.

—Jerky, unrefined footwork and use of hands that results in too many glaring, quick losses, especially on angle/hinge blocks as a run blocker.

—Marginal play strength and poor upper-body strength; struggles to generate or displace first-level defenders.

—High cut frame with some lateral stiffness that makes it difficult for him to redirect and line up smaller targets in space.

—Leans and grabs at the point of attack too often, leaving him vulnerable to being on the ground against defenders who are skilled using hesitations and stutters to evade initial contact.

       

2020 STATISTICS

—Made one start before suffering an undisclosed season-ending injury.

       

NOTES

—32 career games played with 26 consecutive starts (25 at left tackle, one at left guard).

—Invited and participated in the 2021 Senior Bowl.

—Former high school wrestler.

—Enjoys studying Dion Dawkins and Laremy Tunsil.

—Said he was at 305 pounds on January 27.

      

OVERALL

Smith is an intriguing prospect given his impressive week of practice at the Senior Bowl while carrying nearly 20 pounds more than his playing weight (294 compared to 275-280) and has prototypical length with the foot quickness and range to excel at tackle.

His tape showed some promise using these traits, but his marginal play strength, unrefined technique as a run blocker and robotic movements show a player who can't be counted on as a starter early in his career. Weighing his performance in Mobile against the tape makes his evaluation tricky, but given his slight frame, inability to gain the needed weight earlier and raw technique, I lean toward more of a developmental prospect with starting potential down the road as a pro.

      

GRADE: 6.9/10 (Rotational player, 5th round)

OVERALL RANK: 179/300

POSITION RANK: OT18

PRO COMPARISON: Jamarco Jones

      

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

HEIGHT: 6'2 3/4"

WEIGHT: 267

POSITIVES

—Has the foot speed to chase the backside of stretch plays as an end.

—Holds ground at the point of attack.

—Has good play recognition, ranging from identifying screens to taking correct pursuit angles.

—Hand placement and violence is very good for a Group of Five defensive lineman.

—May be better in an NFL scheme with development time than he was in college.

            

NEGATIVES

—Unrefined footwork when in a two-point stance.

—Played significant 4-technique snaps, which makes it difficult to evaluate his interior potential.

—Does not have a pass-rushing move that he can hang his hat on.

               

2020 STATISTICS

52 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 5 SK, 1 PBU, 1 FF

               

NOTES

—Uncle is the athletic director of Southern.

—Team captain in 2020.

—Gained 40 pounds while at Tulane.

          

OVERALL

Cameron Sample is still developing into his frame, but he has the raw tools to be an NFL starter one day. At the moment, he is a little unrefined for starting snaps, but he should bring enough to the table to be in a rotation and make an NFL roster in 2021.

A 267-pound power-rusher, Sample will need to develop more savvy to survive as a hybrid lineman who plays inside and outside offensive tackles if he wants full-time work. But the system he played in at Tulane was not structured to develop him in that way, which opens the door for him to be a better in the NFL than he was in college.

GRADE: 7.0/10 (Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 157/300

POSITION RANK: EDGE23

PRO COMPARISON: Rasheem Green

            

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda

HEIGHT: 6'3 3/4"

WEIGHT: 256

POSITIVES

— Played multiple positions in college, including as a true linebacker in 2019 and as an edge defender in 2020.

— His first step is much better than it appears at first glance due to the fact that he played a run-first role similar to Danielle Hunter at LSU.

— Solid footspeed to run down the backside of plays since bodies are needed to limit his pursuit.

— A natural athlete who plays like a true linebacker in open space.

— His calling card as a pass-rusher is his dip-and-rip move.

— Flashes as an impact tackler who gives up little to no knockback.

NEGATIVES

— Due to his role with the team, it is hard to gauge his true on-field athleticism because of what has been asked of him.

— Is overly reliant on his strength relative to how strong he actually is.

— Pad level is too high at times.

— In general, he seems off-tempo as a pass-rusher, potentially because he cannot get in rhythm due to the scheme.

2020 STATISTICS

55 TKL, 15.5 TFL, 5.5 SK, 2 PD, 1 FR, 3 FF

NOTES

— Multisport athlete in high school who participated in soccer, track and basketball in addition to football.

— Moved to the United States from Nigeria when he was 10 years old.

OVERALL

Joseph Ossai is a great run defender who has been productive as a linebacker and as an edge defender in back-to-back seasons. His on-field athleticism is above average, but it comes and goes with specified roles that do not prioritize his get-off on a down-to-down basis. He is more of an unknown than a known, but he is versatile and a consistent run defender, which sets a high floor for his professional career.

GRADE: 7.81/10 (Second Round)

OVERALL RANK: 43/300

POSITION RANK: EDGE5

PRO COMPARISON: LSU-era Danielle Hunter

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda

HEIGHT: 6'4⅞"

WEIGHT: 317

     

POSITIVES

—Well-rounded thickness throughout his frame with plenty of length

—Physically imposing player who can engulf defenders at the point of attack

—Highly effective on double teams to bang down and crater the 3-technique with excellent power

—Above average athletic ability that shows on screen and swing releases; has the burst and agility to track down smaller targets and lead in space

—Excels on jump sets when he can get his hands on rushers and end the fight quickly

     

NEGATIVES

—Erratic hand placement and strike timing; throws haymakers that too often land high and wide, forcing him to wrap and grab defenders

—Plays with a high pad level that saps his stopping power and leads to defenders having easy access to his frame

—Struggles to adjust and re-leverage his hands against shifty defenders and refined counter moves

—Inconsistent set points resulting in too many undersets and short corners for rushers to work around

—Can get sloppy and lazy with his technique, resulting in bear hugs and missed assignments

     

2020 STATISTICS

—12 starts at left tackle (793 snaps)

—Second-team All-ACC by the AP

     

NOTES

—40 career game appearances with 27 consecutive starts to end his career

—2019 third-team All-ACC

—No. 1 player in the state of Ohio coming out of high school

—Training for the draft with Duke Manyweather at Michael Johnson Performance in McKinney, Texas

      

OVERALL

Carman is a big, strong and physical player who can erase defenders at the point of attack using power and brute force with the agility to track down smaller targets on the move. He is inconsistent using his hands in an attempt to deliver a knockout shot, oftentimes being late and landing off target high or wide with raised pads and a compromised base.

He would be helped playing in a more confined space inside where he can be in a more insulated position to utilize his size, length, and aggressiveness to his advantage, plus provide some juice on pin-pull, counter and power concepts. 

     

GRADE: 7.5/10 (Round 3)

OVERALL RANK: 90/300

POSITION RANK: IOL12

PRO COMPARISON: Ereck Flowers

      

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Cincinnati Bengals selected LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night, and now he's on a quest to rewrite the team's record book.

"Imma break every record they got at the Bengals. I'm telling you right now, I'm gonna break every record they have," Chase told reporters. "I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but it's gonna get done."

Chase reunites with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow after emerging as the top connection in college football for LSU in 2019. The wideout recorded 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns as the Tigers completed an undefeated run to the national championship.

Burrow was then selected by Cincinnati with the first overall choice in the 2020 draft, showing plenty of promise across 10 appearances before suffering a torn ACL.

Chase, who sat out the 2020 campaign, believes linking back up with the Bengals' franchise signal-caller will make for an easier NFL transition since they already have an established rapport.

"He definitely taught me some things when I was at LSU. I think this will be easy," Chase said. "I like the way Joe carries himself. He's always calm, very collected and he's not afraid to tell you something. That's something I love from my quarterback. Me and him are always on the same page, communicating about the defense and the offense. I'm always willing to learn and have an open ear when Joe's talking to me."

Cincinnati has a potent offense on paper with Burrow returning to lead a unit with Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd at wide receiver and a multifaceted playmaker in Joe Mixon at running back.

"It ended up he's a guy that can make a difference in our offense. He's so explosive," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said about Chase. "To me, he's the best receiver that's come out in the last three years. He's worthy of that spot where guys like A.J. [Green] and Julio [Jones] were drafted. It's hard to pass up that kind of talent."

In addition, Chase's sights are now set on Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who holds the team records in catches (751), receiving yards (10,783) and touchdown catches (66).  

Without a doubt, Ja'Marr Chase is one of the most fascinating rookies to analyze from a fantasy perspective after being the No. 5 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft. The talent is unquestionable, but fantasy players might have some concerns. 

Let's break it down.

Without question, Chase brings immense upside to Cincy. He was spectacular in the 2019 season, pairing with Joe Burrow to catch 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. There's a good chance he would have been the top overall wideout off the board in last year's draft were he eligible. 

Random draft quote of the day from a top evaluator — on #LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase: “Best WR prospect since Julio.”

Some players lost steam after opting out of college in 2020, but not Chase. The consensus No. 1 in a very good receiver class.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 9, 2021

In late March, the NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranked Chase as the No. 3 prospect in the 2021 draft, calling him "a dominant player on tape" and a "faster version of three-time Pro Bowl selectee Anquan Boldin."

He noted that Chase "creates separation off the line of scrimmage and he can also find another gear when the ball is in the air" and is "at his best after the catch," making plays with the football as a runner with his speed, elusiveness and strength. 

"When you have a dude that big, that strong, who can create separation with route running as well... that's a quarterback's dream."@realrclark25 on Ja'Marr Chase at LSU’s Pro Day 👀 pic.twitter.com/ymOPYGDcuM

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 31, 2021

But Chase sat out the 2020 college football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning he'll have gone nearly a year-and-a-half without game action. Wide receiver already has one of the bigger learning curbs between the college and NFL games, while Chase will also have some rust to kick off. 

And while rookie receivers are making a bigger and bigger fantasy impact year after year, it's still never a certainty that they'll offer you immediate production. Let's take a look at the numbers posted by last year's first-round wideouts: 

• No. 12 overall Henry Ruggs III: 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. 
• No. 15 overall Jerry Jeudy: 52 catches for 852 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games. 
• No. 17 overall CeeDee Lamb: 74 catches for 935 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games. 
• No. 21 overall Jalen Reagor: 31 catches for 396 yards and a score in 11 games. 
• No. 22 overall Justin Jefferson: 88 catches for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games.
• No. 25 overall Brandon Aiyuk: 60 receptions for 748 yards and five scores in 12 games. 

With first-round wideouts, the seasons from players like Jeudy, Lamb and Aiyuk are generally about as good as you're going to get. And, hey, you'll take it: Lamb was a WR3 in 10-team leagues, joining fellow rookies Chase Claypool and Tee Higgins in that range. Aiyuk settled into a WR4 designation, while Jeudy was a WR5. 

Jefferson was a dramatic exception, setting an NFL record for rookie receiving yards and finishing as the No. 6 receiver in fantasy football. Since 2000, only 12 rookie receivers have exceeded 1,000 receiving yards, or put another way, less than one per draft class.

In other words, selecting Chase and expecting him to put up those types of numbers immediately—even if he's arguably a more talented player than Jefferson—is an enormous risk. 

It's safer to assume his ceiling is around the WR3 range, which still makes him a valuable target in the middle rounds in redraft leagues. His value is far higher in dynasty leagues, obviously. 

Having a talented quarterback like Burrow, who he's already familiar with from their LSU days together, will help make his transition easier. The Bengals do have talented options in Higgins and Tyler Boyd at wideout, however, which should eat into some of his potential targets. 

Assume Chase's upside is in the WR3 range. Don't be surprised when he settles into WR4 territory. Rookie seasons like the one we saw from Jefferson last year are rarer than rare. 

Ja'Marr Chase's big-play skills will be seen in the colors of the Cincinnati Bengals after they selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. 

Chase is reunited with Burrow 🐯

The Bengals select LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase with the No. 5 pick in the #NFLDraft @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/GKV3Bfewyc

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2021

Chase opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for the draft. 

Despite not having any game tape from the previous year, Chase's stock in this year's class never wavered. The Louisiana native was regarded as no worse than the No. 2 wideout along with Alabama star and 2020 Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. 

Chase wound up going before Smith, but now the work begins for the 21-year-old. Here's what the Bengals' depth chart looks like with the 2019 All-American on the roster:

QB: Joe Burrow, Brandon Allen

RB: Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine

WR1: Tyler Boyd

WR2: Tee Higgins

WR3: Ja'Marr Chase*, Auden Tate, Alex Erickson

TE: Drew Sample, CJ Uzomah

LT: Jonah Williams, Hakeem Adeniji

LG: Michael Jordan, Keaton Sutherland

C: Trey Hopkins, Billy Price

RG: Quinton Spain, Xavier Su'a-Filo, Keaton Sutherland

RT: Riley Reiff, Fred Johnson

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Chase as the fourth-best player in the 2021 class.

The 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner, Chase was one of many standout offensive players on LSU's national championship team two years ago. He led all FBS receivers with 1,780 yards and set an SEC record with 20 touchdown catches in 14 games.

Chase was the best receiver on a team that also featured Minnesota Vikings' 2020 first-round draft pick Justin Jefferson. 

Jefferson had 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns on 111 receptions in his final season at LSU. He was arguably the best rookie in the NFL last year with 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 receptions. 

If Chase can make the same kind of impact as a rookie that Jefferson did, the Bengals will be thrilled to have a No. 1 wideout on their roster for many years to come. 

Even though offensive line seemed like a top priority for the Bengals going into the 2021 season, being able to get Joe Burrow a No. 1 wide receiver is difficult to pass up. 

Cincinnati found a very good receiver in the second round last year with the selection of Tee Higgins. Putting Chase on the other side of the field, with Tyler Boyd in the slot, gives the Bengals a potentially elite trio of wideouts to build around. 

The biggest question going forward will be how Burrow performs coming off a torn ACL and MCL. He looked terrific in 2020 with 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 65.3 completion percentage for a team that was rebuilding its offense. 

HEIGHT: 6'0 3/8"

WEIGHT: 201

POSITIVES

— Strong-handed and physical. Consistently attacks the ball in the air and plays with an edge. Shows very good play strength on his releases and on contested catches.

— Displays very good body control and balance in his routes and with the ball in his hands. Hard to bring down and can maintain his routes through contact from defensive backs. Able to throw defenders aside and maintain path when running short and intermediate in-breaking routes like slants and glances.

— Very competitive and displays it throughout his game. From when the ball is in the air to when he’s trying to generate yards after the catch, he's constantly fighting.

— Natural ball-catcher. Comfortable tracking the ball on the move and over his shoulder, and he displays very good hand-eye coordination. Will reach out and snatch throws over the middle. Able to win deep and vertically thanks to his body control and hand-eye coordination as opposed to being an overwhelming speedster. Can consistently adjust for throws away from his body at all three levels.

— Above-average overall route runner who can win at the line of scrimmage vs. physical CBs and has a good feel for space. Good feel and body control for maintaining path and not drifting on routes. Stays friendly to the QB on scramble drills.

— A true weapon in the red zone because of his good feel on routes, his ability to win in tight spaces and his strong hands.

NEGATIVES

— Just OK explosiveness to pull away from defenders with the ball in his hands. Can create some yards after the catch through pure physicality, but he isn’t going to make a ton of defenders miss. He tested well, but play speed doesn’t truly match.

— Will need to keep refining releases from the line of scrimmage. Utilizes a double-hand slap and not much else.

— Doesn’t consistently create separation on his routes, especially ones further down the field, resulting in the need to come up with contested catches. Shorter arms (sub-31”) might also hinder his contested catch ability at the next level.

— Needs to continue to add to his route running tree and refinement. Can be loose on his route tops and get “stuck” out of his break. Has the ability but can end up lacking detail and will need more reps to work on consistency.


2019 STATISTICS

14 G, 84 rec., 1,780 yards, 21.2 avg., 20 TD

NOTES

— Sat out 2020 season.

— 2019 Unanimous All-American

— 2019 Biletnikoff Award

OVERALL:

Ja’Marr Chase is a strong, physical WR with natural hands and good body control who projects as an outside WR at the NFL level. Chase consistently wins on his releases and routes with his strength and physicality, and he shows good foot quickness and overall athleticism. He attacks every ball like his life depends on it and can extend away from his body to make catches at all angles needed, flashing his body control, catching range, and overall competitiveness. He is solid with the ball in his hands and doesn’t make a ton of defenders miss in tight spaces, preferring to lower his shoulder and run through people or split them.

Chase also will need to continue to refine his route running. Overall he shows an above-average skill set, but he wasn’t asked to run an extended route tree and lacked some consistency. Chase’s biggest question mark will be if his preferred bullyball physical playstyle will translate in the NFL because of just above-average size, shorter arms and his testing numbers not fully translating onto the field.

Despite this, Chase was an incredibly productive WR at LSU whose physical play can set the tone for an offensive unit and can overwhelm less-physical CBs with his strength, competitiveness and contested-catch ability. Chase projects to be a Day 1 contributor for any offense with the upside of being a bonafide top-tier X-WR who is a touchdown machine once the offense gets inside the 20-yard line.

GRADE: 8.6/10 (Immediate impact NFL starter, 1st round)

OVERALL RANK: 10/300

POSITION RANK: WR3

PRO COMPARISON: Michael Crabtree

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice