Bengals wide receiver targets: Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa
Since Smith-Marsette already has some buzz with the Bengals, let’s take a look at him first.
The Iowa receiver saw action in all four years as a Hawkeye. He spent his first two seasons down the receiving pecking order behind two well-known tight ends. Once Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson had departed for the NFL, it was Smith-Marsette’s turn to be Nate Stanley’s number one target.
While he didn’t put up monster numbers, Smith-Marsette did finish his collegiate career with 14 touchdowns and averaged over 14 yards per catch. Add into that his record as a kick returner and ability to be used on gadget plays, you have an extremely versatile offensive weapon.
In terms of size, at 6’1 there are no concerns about Smith-Marsette’s ability to stick on the outside. While he is lean and will need to add weight to hold up against more physical corners, his ball-tracking and body control are major plus points.
Watching Ihmir Smith-Marsette - he can win down the field and there were yards left out there due to QB play
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) February 3, 2021
Also a very good kick returner - brought 2 back for TDs in 2019 and a handful of 40+ in 2018 pic.twitter.com/SKjM1CAEYc
Most importantly for the Bengals is the speed element to his game. Pro Football Network’s draft analyst Oliver Hodgkinson describes him as such:
"Creativity, speed, explosion, and versatility. These are the things that Ihmir Smith-Marsette brings to the 2021 NFL Draft. Although I couldn’t find a verified 40-yard dash time for the speedster, it isn’t out of the realms of possibility that he runs in the 4.4-second range at Iowa’s Pro Day. Bottom line, Smith-Marsette is not just fast, but his speed is explosive."
If the Bengals are truly looking to add a different dimension to their receiving corps then Ihmir Marsette-Smith should be a name in strong consideration come the middle rounds.