The Cincinnati Bengals have invested heavily in the wide receiver position the last two years via the NFL Draft. In 2023, the orange and black selected Charlie Jones in the fourth round from Purdue and then took Andrei Iosivas from Princeton in round six. This season, Cincinnati grabbed T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s protege Jermaine Burton from Alabama. The former Crimson Tide product has been as advertised and turning heads as Tyler Boyd’s replacement in the slot. Sophomores Jones and Iosivas have also had their moments catching passes from Joe Burrow in a multitude of formations. Let’s examine how the receiver room can help take this Bengals offense to the next level.
Wide Receiver Depth on Full Display for Bengals at Training Camp
First Impressions
The player that has impressed the most from the Bengals 2024 draft class has been Burton. He’s caught everything thrown his way and has shown the ability to separate from initial contact. One of the most important aspects of any solid receiver at the next level is body control on sideline throws and in the red zone. This is another area Burton has aced thus far in training camp.
Jermaine Burton with the extended acrobatic cash in the back of the end zone from Logan Woodside pic.twitter.com/oV6faiEZC8
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) July 30, 2024
With Ja’Marr Chase “holding in” at camp, Burton has continued to refine his game and the Bengals superstar has been there every step of the way to offer his advice and support. Burton has been taking note and recently stated, “It’s kind of been a good thing that Ja’Marr has been able to sit out and watch me, Burton said. I feel like if he was practicing he wouldn’t be able to see everything, all my flaws or anything that he wants to correct…He’ll come to me after every other rep and say this and that, it’s pretty dope.”
Double Trouble
The duo of Jones and Iosivas can’t be overlooked even though Burton has shined bright through OTAs and in the first week of camp. They have been much more consistent than last year and aren’t making as many careless mental errors that often result in missed assignments. Jones is the shiftier type while Iosivas is more of the jump ball specialist like Tee Higgins.
.@JoeyB ➡️ @AndreiIosivas 👀
Training Camp | @KetteringHealth pic.twitter.com/GCesx9S66K
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) July 25, 2024
While Jones sees the majority of his snaps in the slot, the Bengals have also been tinkering with playing Iosivas there as well. This allows them to maximize the defensive matchups they see. Wide receivers coach Troy Walters has been extremely impressed with Iosivas as he’s continued to show great burst and awareness that resulted in two touchdown passes from Burrow on broken plays last season.
All Together Now
With the young players gaining confidence and getting crucial reps, we can’t forget the plethora of veteran weapons the Bengals have at their disposal. Chase, Higgins, newly acquired Mike Gesicki, and running back Zack Moss add layers to this offense that could make them difficult to defend.
Burrow might be the biggest beneficiary in all this as they look for ways to keep him healthy for the entire season. Surrounding your franchise with plenty of weapons is a great place to start. Let’s see how far the most famous man in stripes can take them.
Main Photo: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
