Coming out of LSU with the 5th overall pick, he was widely speculated to have been a draft mistake because it seemed like the Bengals needed to work on their offensive line to protect Joe Burrow after his ACL tear last season. But after a great rookie campaign where Chase tallied up 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns leading all rookies, Chase patiently waited for his chance to show the league he is an elite WR with incredible speed and overall outstanding football IQ. But as we approach the Bengals Super Bowl matchup vs the Rams, I look toward the next season to discuss whether Ja’Marr Chase will be a top 5 WR next year.
Chase’s rookie year was outstanding, with eight 40 yard bombs he proved to be a deep threat receiver that can trick secondary with his quick feet and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. As the playoffs gained momentum, the Bengals ran through teams that were top in the league like facing Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild card, Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans in the divisional, concluded by an overtime win in the AFC Championship against arguably the top quarterback in the league in Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And while he has done his best this season in the biggest moments for the Bengals, including when they won the AFC North division title for the first time since the 2015 season. (12-4 record with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card game.) Chase piled up 11 catches for 266 yards and three touchdowns, one of which came from 72 yards out, another of which came from 69 yards out. Here are comparisons of Chase’s season compared to all pro receivers’ first year.
Ja’Marr Chase: 1,455 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns
Randy Moss: 1,313 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns
Jerry Rice: 927 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns
Calvin Johnson: 756 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns
Julio Jones: 959 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns
I believe as long as Burrow and Chase keep their chemistry up and keep production in the field, Chase has very good odds of being a top 5 WR as next season approaches. ei
