Instant analysis of Bengals picking Colbie Young in the fourth round

After the Cincinnati Bengals struck an NFL draft trade with the Jets , they used the 140th pick acquired in the trade on Georgia wideout Colbie Young. Earlier in the round, the Bengals drafted center Connor Lew , attacking a long-term problem on the offensive line behind Ted Karras. With this pick, Young arrives as a 6’4” weapon for Joe Burrow’s offense who averaged 12.

5 yards per catch over 116 receptions from 2022-2025. Lance Zierlein of NFL. com mentioned that teams need to look into an arrest and suspension from 2024, but that Young has traits that make him appealing to teams: “On tape, he uses his size, muscle and catch radius to beat cornerbacks in tight quarters and above the rim.

His speed and separation are average, so he’ll likely see a higher number of contested battles. His route-running needs work, but he’s a nightmare for cornerbacks to bring down after the catch. Young has talent to work with and -- provided teams are comfortable after their character evaluation -- has a chance to be more productive in the pros.

” The Bengals were always going to attack wideout depth this year, especially with Andrei Iosvias and others not stepping up to reliably fill that third-wideout role behind the big two. Still, it’s interesting to see the Bengals go with a possible character risk after dealing with the Jermaine Burton saga for a few years. Young has massive upside, and generally speaking, the Bengals historically know how to nail the draft at wideout.