The Cincinnati Bengals, as expected, addressed the wide receiver position rather early in the 2024 NFL draft.
Cincinnati did this with the first of its two third-round picks at No. 80 overall, grabbing Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton.
Burton perhaps wasn’t the first name on the lists of fans, but his 6’0″, 196-pound frame with 4.45-second speed and production were surely alluring to Bengals scouts.
So, too, was Burton’s eight touchdowns while leading the Crimson Tide in receiving last year, averaging better than 20 yards per catch.
While NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein did compare Burton to Kenny Stills, he assigned him a Round 5 draft projection:
While the catch totals and yardage weren’t necessarily prolific, Burton’s tape is very appealing. He has pretty good size and plays bigger than he measures. He can fight through press, get physical at the break point and carve out space on 50/50 balls. Burton wasn’t asked to run an extended route tree, but he has the traits and ball skills to work all three levels against NFL cornerbacks. He caught a touchdown pass every 5.7 grabs during his college career, but he would have scored even more if not for some mistimed throws when he had opened the window wide. Burton’s athletic profile and ball skills create confidence that he can become a solid WR2/3 in the league.
Burton very much aligns with the team’s desire to get faster now. That explains the lack of a re-up with Tyler Boyd in free agency, as Burton is a guy they can use on the field alongside Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to help keep defenses honest deep down the field.
Given his limited route tree in college and need for development, Burton is also a nice fit because he wouldn’t have to take over as a possible No. 2 wideout in 2025 — assuming Tee Higgins even leaves.
While it’s notable that the team drafted Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones last year, too, Burton feels like he could break into the base offense more quickly. And even if he doesn’t, reliable depth at the position has been an issue.
If nothing else, while Burton won’t get praised across the board as a good value, he goes a long way toward fixing that problem of non-Chase wideouts being unable to get open reliably.
