:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46214772/GettyImages-459727207.0.jpg)
When the Bengals sent Chad Johnson to New England, the Patriots gave Cincinnati the No. 166 overall pick -- the 31st pick in the fifth round. The Bengals used this selection to pick California wide receiver Marvin Jones, who recalls having a significant chip on his shoulder after being passed up so many times.
"Right now, my heart is beating fast because I'm thinking about how I felt," Jones said via Paul Dehner's story in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I was so mad in the buildup just before I got picked."
When years of games and months of workouts boil down to three days of seemingly endless suspense, every receiver selected might as well be a hand reaching out of the television and slapping your face as a sign of disrespect./p>
"It was 23 receivers," the Cal product said, definitively recalling how many were selected before him.
According to DraftHistory.com, he was the 23rd receiver selected, but at this stage, the point is crystal clear -- he's pissed. Marvin Jones, who showed so much promise in 2013 with a career-high 10 touchdown receptions on 51 catches, is mounting a comeback after missing the entire 2014 season with foot and ankle injuries. His return might not be unlike obtaining a first-round draft pick that many believe Cincinnati will target this year.
"Right now, my heart is beating fast because I'm thinking about how I felt." - Marvin Jones on being drafted in the fifth round"
Of the first-round receivers taken in the 2012 NFL draft (Jones' class), there's a point to be made that he's become the most productive -- largely based on his one breakout season. Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon was the first receiver selected that year (and the fifth player selected overall). He has been suspended for more games (28) than he's played (20). Arizona's Michael Floyd and Tennessee's Kendall Wright have had strong seasons comparable to Jones and A.J. Jenkins, the fourth and final receiver taken in the first round, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 2013 season and was released earlier this year.
Jones is attacking the offseason training program without any limitations imposed by trainers. He has essentially been green-lit to do whatever he wants since February, even posting videos to social media of his workouts in California.
"I've got the green light to do anything and everything I need to do to get back to where I need to be," Jones texted via Bengals.com in February. "I've been surprised at the progress I've made in only going on my second week training and at the rate I’m going I'm sure I will be in game shape very soon. My focus is on getting back that muscle memory, lower body explosion, and just getting out there on the field and go all out with no (hiccups) consistently every day."