Burrow gets another weapon.
With the 80th pick in the NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals landed a dynamic wide receiver in Alabama’s Jermaine Burton.
Could Burton be the next Alabama receiver to become an NFL star?
What are the Bengals getting in Burton?
Although he is only six feet tall. Burton has long arms and will go up and get the ball in contested situations. He tested extremely well, running a 4.45 40 and displaying explosive jumps.
Burton has good production, having led Alabama in receiving each of the last two years.
Still, Burton did not live up to his talent. He has a lot of work to do to improve as a route-runner, and questions about his maturity and attitude linger. He has the tools to be an elite receiver, but he will need to prove that he is willing to do what it takes to get there.
What will Burton do for the Bengals?
Based on his talent, Burton would be the third wide receiver in Cincinnati, but where does he fit?
His route running isn’t good enough to play in the slot. According to PFF, he only had 59 slot snaps in 2023. He did get more work there in 2022 with 138 slot reps, but he’s still not a Tyler Boyd replacement.
Maybe he is the heir apparent to Tee Higgins, but he isn’t very good at getting off the jam, so you would actually prefer him off the ball in the Z position played by Ja’Marr Chase.
In addition, Burton is perhaps the first true test of the Bengals’ winning culture. Will the leadership of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins help to keep him on the straight and narrow? Will Troy Walters be able to mold him into an elite NFL pass catcher?
Only time will tell.
The plan is to develop him into an eventual starter, but his path to playing time early is unclear.
Follow our Twitter page and ‘like’ our Facebook page for the latest Cincinnati Bengals news and views.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login