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The Cincinnati Bengals surprised many when they passed on offensive lineman Penei Sewell and went with the LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
The former Tiger had his breakout season alongside Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson, helping LSU win a national championship.
He’ll now be joining Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Higgins was the team’s second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft while Boyd was taken in the second round of the 2016 draft. The trio will be one of the most feared in the AFC North.
If you ask former Bengals legend Chad Johnson, he takes it a step further.
“They might be top three as a whole. They just have to go out there, put it together and prove that they are. They are very saucy,” Chad Johnson said according to the Enquirer’s Tyler Dragon.
Whether it’s commenting on Burrow’s ability or saying he’d train with receivers, Johnson has been involved with this Bengals team. He’s repped Cincinnati for years, and it’s been terrific to see a superstar keep pouring the love on the organization.
That said, Johnson’s spot on with his opinion as well.
In college, Chase was a touchdown-scoring machine.
He had 20 touchdowns on 84 receptions in the SEC as a sophomore. Add that to Boyd who has had two 1,000-yard seasons in the last three years and is among the best slot receivers in the league, and it’s going to be a lethal combination of talent.
Higgins should also take a step forward. The 6-foot-4 receiver was 92 yards off a 1,000-yard season his rookie year. It was an absolute steal to get him with the first pick of the second round.
All three combined will be thrilling to see as long as the offensive line can figure out how to keep Burrow upright for long enough to find them. That’ll be the biggest question that needs to be answered.