The Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver room is one of, if not, the best in the NFL. They obviously have a future Hall of Famer in Ja'Marr Chase, coupled with Tee Higgins, who could be a WR1 for most NFL teams. Behind Chase and Higgins is currently fourth year wideout Andrei Iosivas.
He has consistently shown impressive signs during his Bengals career so far, but there is still room for development for the 26-year-old. In 50 career starts for Cincinnati, Iosivas has 84 receptions for 1030 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Joe Burrow was full of praise for Andrei Iosivas after Bengals minicamp
Many Bengals fans would agree that Iosivas is a solid WR3, but this year, he could be in line to improve. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow recently praised the former sixth round pick, saying that he was very impressed with him in OTAs.
"Andrei Iosivas looks great. Big, strong and fast. He’s playing with so much confidence."Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
With the praise from Burrow and the fact that Iosivas seems to have solidified himself as the WR3, he should have nothing to worry about heading into the new season. Well, that's not quite right...
Colbie Young could challenge Andrei Iosivas for WR3 job
The Bengals drafted Georgia wideout Colbie Young in the fourth round of the NFL draft this offseason. The rookie has already impressed in OTAs, and based on his talent profile and college production, there's a real chance he could threaten Iosivas' position as the third choice receiver.
Young is 6'3", 218 pounds, and is known for being able to use his size and profile to beat shorter cornerbacks, which is reminiscient of a certain Tee Higgins.
Higgins himself has been impressed with Young so far. He was even quoted last month saying that he sees a lot of himself in Young, which is high praise considering how good Higgins has been since the Bengals drafted him in 2020.
Here's what Higgins had to say to senior Bengals writer Geoff Hobson about Young:
"I see a lot of me in him. From my rookie year for sure. He's quiet. That's how I was. Quiet guy, but he speaks when he needs to. He's got raw talent...He's got all the tools...Good hands. He's a really good route runner. Just a few things that I see. What he can work on. I saw that in myself when I was his age."
Why Colby Young could replace Andrei Iosivas as Bengals' No. 3 receiver
Neither Young nor Iosivas is a particularly deep-threat guy. Young is more of an X-receiver, who has the potential to become an alpha receiver in the NFL. In comparison, Iosivas is more of a red zone threat, as he has shown in the NFL with his touchdown record.
However, based on their profiles, it wouldn't be unfair to say that Young has the upside to become more of a dominant receiver, especially on downfield plays. With all the attention on Chase and Higgins, if Young comes in and has a couple of big games, Iosivas could see his WR3 status under real threat.
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