Tyler Boyd will try for a third 1,000-yard season from the slot

For as badly as the Bengals have missed in the first round of the draft in recent years, they have nailed their second round selections.

Tyler Boyd is one of Cincinnati’s best second round picks in recent years.

With A.J. Green’s up-and-down status over the last few years, Boyd became one of Andy Dalton’s favorite targets. Boyd is the first Bengals’ receiver not named A.J. Green with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons since Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh did it in 2006-2007.

The wide receiver group is crammed with first and second round picks, but Boyd is the emerging leader of the squad.

Tyler Boyd

Height: 6-2

Weight: 203

Age: 25

College: Pittsburgh

Hometown: Clairton, PA

Experience: 5 years

Cap Status

Boyd is in his second year of his four-year extension. His cap hit is $8.05 million with $11.8 million in dead money. He has a potential out after this season, but with all of the unknowns around Green and John Ross, the Bengals will want to keep Boyd around to keep the position stable.

Background

Tyler Boyd was a second round pick in 2016, but the Bengals didn’t realize what kind of value they were getting.

It took a few years before Boyd became what he is today. In his first two seasons, he only caught 76 receptions for 828 yards and three touchdowns.

His third year in the league was his breakout season. In 2018, he caught another 76 targets for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. He added another 1,046 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 as he emerged as the Bengals’ WR1.

Outlook for 2020

The Bengals signed Green to a franchise tender, so that will take away a lot of targets from Boyd. Adding Tee Higgins and a healthy John Ross to the mix will also mean less action for Boyd.

However, this doesn’t diminish Boyd’s value in the slightest. Having a slot receiver like Boyd is going to be a huge boost for Joe Burrow.

Having a duo like Green and Boyd, or perhaps Boyd and Higgins in the future, is going to help the Bengals compete against the tough AFC North. With a strong-armed quarterback like Burrow will look a lot like the days of Carson Palmer throwing to Johnson and Houshmandzadeh.

The Bengals could have another pair of 1,000-yard wideouts again. Boyd could certainly be one of them.

Roster Odds

Boyd is a key part of this offense; he’s not going anywhere. His recent contract extension reflects the Bengals’ desire to build the wide receiver corps around him. The only thing to keep him off the team is either a career-ending injury or an off-the-field disaster. He’s going to be an important part of this franchise for hopefully many more years to come.

Roster odds: 99%