Not all that long ago, we asked what’s going on with Jermaine Burton?
The most-hyped rookie of the Cincinnati Bengals draft class worked with the fourth team during some preseason action and eventually served as a kick return on special teams for the first time in his pro career.
Due to those details and even some comments from Burton himself, it seemed clear that some of the red flags that had caused him to drop to the third round despite arguable first-round talent came true.
And now we know more.
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic recently wrote that some of those red flags indeed popped up this summer, writing that “Cincinnati did run into issues getting Burton on board and up to professional standards quickly.”
Dehner added that the sentiment around the Bengals is that Burton has “has not been in the vicinity of where he needs to be as a professional” and expanded further:
The Bengals won’t put him out there — or even make him active on gameday — until they feel comfortable he’s preparing in meetings, will be in the right spots and can be trusted by the quarterback.
It’s a bombshell of a report and given what outsiders have been able to see so far, not all that shocking.
Also not shocking is that Burton’s struggles are emphasized more when compared to the approach of other younger players at his position, such as Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones.
Zac Taylor’s cultural overhaul and imprint of his own desired program on the locker room were critical to the franchise’s turnaround. Clearly, the team knew the risks with Burton and seemed to believe that he had what it took to eventually overcome those pre-draft flags.
But for Burton, that’s a task he’ll have to do over the course of his rookie year, winning over the team and Joe Burrow himself while other wideouts rep in the offense.
