A younger core of superstars has already uplifted the Cincinnati Bengals to contention earlier than expected.
The two guys that headline said core, of course, are Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
Interestingly, it’s Chase and Tee Higgins who happen to be the only Bengals representatives on Pro Football Focus’ Top 25 players under 25 years old going into the 2022 season.
Chase checks in at No. 7, with Trevor Sikkema noting the following:
“Chase’s rookie season was beyond worth the Bengals selecting him at No. 5 overall. Reunited with quarterback Joe Burrow, Chase ranked fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,455) and third in receiving touchdowns (13). Few receivers in the league could say they were more dominant in one-on-one situations than him. His presence was a major catalyst for Cincinnati winning the AFC Championship and making it to the Super Bowl.”
Higgins landed 19th:
“His PFF grade took a nice jump from 75.9 as a rookie to 84.5 this past season. He also finished strong with a ton of momentum going into 2022, as he recorded 100 receiving yards in four of his final six regular-season games and had back-to-back 100-yard games in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl.”
Burrow turns 26 in December, which might play a part in the omission here. Only Justin Herbert (2) and Trevor Lawrence (21) are the other quarterbacks to make the list.
Chase ends up as the second wideout behind Justin Jefferson (5).
Looking ahead, the Bengals surely hope names like rookies Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt, and even Jonah Williams, can take steps to make future lists.
