Is Jalen Reagor the missing piece in the Bengals' offense?
The Bengals were aggressive this offseason, addressing multiple needs in free agency including safety, cornerback, linebacker and defensive tackle.
Cincinnati committed nearly $150 million to eight free agents. That injection of talent helps the organization during the next phase of the offseason.
"It does take the stress of the draft a little bit, because now you can go get the player you deem is the best player and not pigeonhole yourself into having to pick a particular position,” head coach Zac Taylor said earlier this week. “We really felt like we helped ourselves there and took the pressure off of us. We added a lot of quality players who are excited to be Bengals and we're excited to have them.”
Drafting the ‘best player available’ is a philosophy that a lot of teams, including Cincinnati hopes to execute every year, but sometimes it fails.
If they stick to their board this year, a wide receiver like TCU’s Jalen Reagor (RAY-GUR) could be the top player on their board at the start of the second round.
The speedster showed flashes of brilliance in three seasons with the Horned Frogs. He won Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year and was named team MVP as a sophomore.
Reagor was electrifying with the ball in his hands during his three years at TCU. He finished his collegiate career with 26 touchdowns, including two rushing and two punt return scores. His best statistical season came in 2018 when he finished with 72 receptions, 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns.
Reagor isn’t a perfect prospect. He’s had his fair share of drops and failed to bring in some of the most routine grabs. He isn’t going to be a great blocker and isn’t the biggest receiver at 5’11,” 198 pounds.
He did hold a virtual pro day this week to potentially boost his draft stock. He ran a sub 4.3 40-yard dash after posting a 4.47 at the NFL Combine.
He is the son of Montae Reagor, who was picked in the second-round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Broncos. Montae played in the NFL for nine seasons, which included time in Denver, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.
If the Bengals took Reagor, he would be capable of playing multiple roles as a rookie. His versatility could do wonders for Joe Burrow and an offense that hopes to be more explosive in 2020.
Reagor could contribute as a wide receiver on the outside and in the slot. He'd also be able to lineup in the backfield and return kicks and punts on special teams. He would give the Bengals another home run hitter in the short-term and could develop into a go-to weapon in the long-term.
Reagor is great with the ball in his hands, so quick screens, slants, drag routes, hand-offs and reverses would put him in a position to utilize his best traits.
With A.J. Green and John Ross in the final year of their contracts, wide receiver is a need for the Bengals entering the draft. Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate are the only two receivers on the roster that are under contract in 2021.
Reagor would be able to contribute this season and could be a building block moving forward. He's one of the many players the Bengals could consider with the No. 33 pick.
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