The Cincinnati Bengals do quite well in a new list that ranks 100 NFL players for the 2023 season based on potential, not past performance.
Those rankings, courtesy of ESPN, feature two Bengals players in the the top five overall.
And fans probably know who.
One is quarterback Joe Burrow, who sits fourth overall behind only Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson and Jalen Hurts.
On Burrow:
Signature stat: Burrow’s 68.2% career completion rate is the best by any player in his first three seasons in NFL history (minimum 500 attempts). He also has 12 touchdowns of 50-plus yards, which is tied with Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton for the most all time in a player’s first three seasons.
Fifth overall? Burrow’s favorite target, Ja’Marr Chase. The writeup mentions Chase’s incredible pace over his first few years in the league:
Even after missing five games last season with a hip injury, Chase still managed to record his second straight 1,000-yard season, bringing his career receiving yards total to 2,501. Chase became the fifth player in NFL history to record 2,500 receiving yards in the first two seasons of a career — joining Justin Jefferson (3,016), Odell Beckham Jr. (2,755), Randy Moss (2,726) and Bill Groman (2,648).
Other Bengals to make the list include defensive end Trey Hendrickson at No. 53, wide receiver Tee Higgins at No. 59 and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. at No. 66.
