Cincinnati Bengals rookies are just reporting to training camp on Saturday, and among them is fourth-round pick Colbie Young. The wide receiver out of Georgia was widely viewed in the NFL Draft community as a big reach with the 140th overall pick, especially since the Bengals' passing attack already has two elite wideouts for Joe Burrow in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Young will have a lot to prove to the coaching staff and the fanbase in the coming weeks. However, if the young rook makes the most of his opportunities, he could be fast-tracked to a larger role than anticipated in 2026.
Let's explore what Young brings to the field — and why he's a live contender to unseat Andrei Iosivas as Cincinnati's No. 3 wide receiver.
How Colbie Young becomes Joe Burrow's next Bengals X-factor
Before we dive deeper into Young, it's important to briefly lay out the state of the Bengals' receiving corps. Here are PFF's snap split breakdowns for Chase, Higgins, and Iosivas from last season to underscore who aligns where (slot vs. outside), and how often:
- Ja'Marr Chase: 660 wide snaps; 316 slot snaps
- Tee Higgins: 661 wide snaps, 102 slot snaps
- Andrei Iosivas: 483 slot snaps; 353 wide snaps
Iosivas 6'3", 210-pound frame isn't your typical slot prototype. Young is even bigger at 6'5" 218 pounds, and he doesn't have the same slot versatility that Iosivas or Chase do.
That's not a bad thing, though. The main point here is that Young's superior size allows Chase and even Higgins to flex inside more often to draw more favorable matchups against either hybrid linebacker types, or more diminutive nickelbacks.
If defenses are having to account for either Chase or Higgins in the slot, that could lead to more double teams on the inside. That's where Young could really take advantage of one-on-one matchups, which Burrow loves to exploit on downfield throws.
Why Colbie Young could eat into Andrei Iosivas' target share
As phenomenal as Chase is when playing on the boundary, the more often he moves into the slot, the less predictable Cincinnati's passing attack becomes. Zac Taylor can experiment with more wide receiver switch and swap releases as a play designer.
Now maybe Iosivas has been a better fit to play more on the perimeter all along. However, despite his exceptional athleticism, Yoshi has struggled to separate, or be competitive enough at the catch point.
Young's college drop rate (6.6%) pales in comparison to what Iosivas (11.6%) has battled in the pros. Although Burrow seems to back Iosivas at every turn, the man needs to secure the ball better.
Additionally, in terms of contested catches, Young flashed awesome upside there in 2023 at Miami (Florida), converting on 66.7% of those chances (12 of 18). Meanwhile, Iosivas' contested catch rate in the NFL is just 37.5% (12 of 32, including three-for-15 last year).
Will Colbie Young steal Bengals WR3 job in training camp?
This marks the final year of Iosivas' rookie contract, so at the very least, the Bengals drafting Young was something of a contingency plan for Yoshi.
Given his superior experience, and the earned trust of Burrow, Iosivas will probably fend off Young for the WR3 gig.
So to directly answer the prompt: It's doubtful. It's not as if Young was some prolific college player. He managed only 116 receptions for 1,446 and 13 TDs across four seasons at Miami and Georgia.
The bigger question is, does it really matter who wins the Bengals' WR3 gig?
I've been calling Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki "TINO" (Tight End In Name Only). He functions as Cincinnati's de facto third wide receiver when he's in the lineup.
In fact, here are Gesicki's 2025 snap splits: 23 as an inline tight end, 230 slot snaps, and 67 out wide. He plays the true tight end spot a fraction of the time.
Iosivas' extensive playing time last season was a more due to Gesicki being banged up and missing time than his own merits. So whether it's Young or Iosivas, or a rather even-split combination of the two, Gesicki figures to be one of Burrow's primary targets in 2026. Far more so than the pair of receivers vying to share the field with Chase and Higgins in pure three wide receiver formations.
Bottom line: Bengals fans should keep their expectations in check for Colbie Young. However, it's not like he was playing with a QB in college anywhere near the caliber of Burrow. nor did he have the luxury of players like Chase and Higgins drawing so much attention from the opponent's coverage.
The ideal scenario is Young making a splash play here or there, and at least making it a conversation as to whether the Bengals re-sign Iosivas next offseason. That'd quiet a lot of doubters about the decision to draft Young in the first place, and set him up for a promising second NFL season.
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