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Bengals eye Jamison Crowder at Duke Pro Day

Jamison Crowder could be the missing link in the Bengals offense and special teams.

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals may want to draft a better slot receiver than what they currently have on their roster.

The Bengals badly missed Andrew Hawkins this past season, and they never found a slot receiver to replace him. Mohamed Sanu tried but was also forced to play out wide with injuries to A.J. Green and Marvin Jones throughout the season. It's unclear if Sanu will move back to the slot, or if he even should be in the top three of the WR rotation.

That's where a guy like Jamison Crowder could fit in. The 5-9, 175-pound receiver looks and plays like Baby Hawk, and not only is he a quality slot receiver, he has the ability to beat his man at the line of scrimmage and deep.

It just so happens Bengals wide receivers coach James Urban and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons were present for Duke's pro day on Wednesday. With Brandon Tate likely not being brought back, the Bengals could certainly use a guy like Crowder on special teams. He was one of the top returners in college over his two years at Duke.

In 2014, Crowder was second in the ACC in receptions with 85 to go with 1,044 yards and two scores while also returning two punts for touchdowns. In 2013, he led ACC in receptions with 108 and finished with 1,360 yards and eight touchdowns while returning two punts for scores.

Crowder will likely go somewhere after the third round, and he'd be an ideal target for Cincinnati if they want to get a more capable slot receiver than Sanu, while also obtaining an explosive return man.