Everyone is excited to see what fifth overall pick Ja’Marr Chase will do as a rookie. The Cincinnati Bengals picked him over top tackle prospect Penei Sewell and they did so to reunite him with his former LSU quarterback, Joe Burrow.
The two are going to make things fun in the Queen City and Chase already has a strong case to win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 despite never catching a pass in a Bengals uniform.
When anyone releases predictions for who they think will win Offensive Rookie of the Year this season, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence almost always tops the list. No one is surprised by this, as Lawrence was the number one pick in the draft after an outstanding career at Clemson. If the Jaguars are going to turn things around, it’ll be because of Lawrence, so naturally, he’s the early favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Chase, however, will challenge the former Clemson signal-caller for the title. It’ll be tricky considering a wide receiver hasn’t won OROTY since Odell Beckham did it with the Giants in 2014. Since then, it’s been split between quarterbacks and running backs.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase will make a strong push for OROTY.
Even though Lawrence will likely be the favorite throughout the season, if Chase can put up 1,000+ yards and double-digit touchdowns, it’ll be hard not to strongly consider him for the award, especially if he’s competing for targets against Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
Many felt Vikings wide receiver (and former teammate of Chase and Burrow) Justin Jefferson was the best offensive rookie last season but he was beaten out by Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Jefferson had solid numbers during his rookie campaign but found the end zone just seven times. Had he scored three or more times, maybe it’d have been a different story.
It’ll be fun to watch Chase put on a show this year and make the Bengals offense a fun unit to watch. If he can be that same guy he was at LSU in 2019, then there’s a really good shot he can be in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year when the season is in the rearview mirror.