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With the 80th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton. The surplus of receivers drafted early created a demand for the position, and the Bengals got their guy in Round 3.
Burton was the 13th wide receiver taken off the board -- drafted ahead of guys like Roman Wilson, Troy Franklin, and Jalen McMillan. His combination of speed, athleticism, deep ball skills, and reliable hands intrigued teams in the predraft process.
What further boosted Burton’s stock was his NFL Scouting Combine performance. Standing at 6-foot-0 and 196 pounds, the Georgia native clocked in a 4.45 40-yard-dash, had an 11-foot-1 broad jump, and 38.5 vertical jump. His drop to pick No. 80 had little to do with his talent on the football field and more to do with reported “off-the-field and maturity issues.” Burton can win on all three levels of the field and has the capability to run any route asked of him with a high success rate.
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Jermaine Burton #ReceptionPerception profile just went live on the site.
Some highlights:
- 75% success rate vs. man coverage
- 77.3% success rate vs. press coverage
- Among prospects on the site right now, both are top-3 in the class.He has first-round WR talent. If he had… pic.twitter.com/CeG8bK6s91
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 18, 2024
Past Production
After thriving at the high school level in California, the highly sought-after receiver was rated as a four-star prospect and gained a multitude of interest from programs at the next level. Burton committed and decommitted from two different colleges before officially signing his letter of intent with the Georgia Bulldogs.
He totaled 951 yards and eight touchdowns throughout two seasons at Georgia. Burton then decided to enter the transfer portal and committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he would have his most productive seasons.
During his two seasons at Alabama, Burton led the Crimson Tide in major receiving categories -- totaling 1,475 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns throughout that span. What is most impressive about his time at Alabama is the amount of production he put together on limited opportunity, as he had just 79 total receptions in two years with the Tide. Burton averaged 20.5 yards per reception in 2023, which ranked fifth in all of college football among players with over 20 receptions.
Jermaine Burton is one of my favorite WRs that isn't getting talked about that much. Fluid route runner with great contested catch skills & ball tracking ability pic.twitter.com/RSXGR93GAU
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) November 23, 2023
Rookie Year Situation
The 22-year-old now enters a relatively ideal situation for a rookie receiver. With the departures of longtime Bengals slot target Tyler Boyd and running back Joe Mixon, Joe Burrow will need to find a reliable target outside of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Boyd and Mixon combined for about 27% of the team’s total targets over the last three seasons.
After undergoing season-ending wrist surgery in November and missing the final seven games of last season, Burrow is back on the field practicing for Cincinnati. While there is some uncertainty about whether or not his wrist will be back at 100%, Burrow has not wasted any time getting reps in with his rookie wide receiver.
Joe Burrow throws a 60-yard dime to rookie WR Jermaine Burton 👀
pic.twitter.com/aDGMDoulk0— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 14, 2024
Burton has proven that he can excel while playing both on the outside and in the slot. His ability to track and win 50-50 balls, along with being able to get open consistently, creates unique versatility for Burrow and the Bengals. Following Boyd’s departure, it is likely that Burton, Chase, and perhaps even newly acquired tight end Mike Gesicki will take up a large majority of the team’s slot snaps this season.
With Higgins likely gone in free agency after this season, Burton will need to build a strong rapport with Burrow during his first year to slide in as Cincinnati's WR2 behind Chase next season and for the foreseeable future.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Overall, Burton does have fantasy football appeal in his very first season. While Chase, Higgins, Gesicki, and newly signed running back Zack Moss will account for a large portion of the team’s targets early on, Burton is in a situation where he can secure a crucial role in one of the league’s top passing attacks right away. While it may be an overwhelming situation for the rookie receiver to be put in, he is accepting that and is excited to play in Cincinnati.
“I’m more than happy to be in this receiver room. I feel like it’s a bright future,” Burton said at the team’s rookie minicamp.
Jermaine Burton says Ja’Marr Chase has been in touch, likes Burton’s game. pic.twitter.com/bcsEq42vqy
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) May 10, 2024
In Underdog’s season-long best-ball rankings, Burton currently has an ADP of 157.8 and is ranked as WR72 -- meaning you can comfortably draft the Bengals rookie as your fifth or sixth receiver in best-ball drafts. Factoring in how late you can acquire Burton, he is a more than intriguing target. Consider him in all best-ball drafts, attempt to acquire him in all dynasty leagues, and treat Burton as a late-round stash to target in redraft leagues for this upcoming season.
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