Three Reasons Why Ja'Marr Chase Would Be the Right Pick for the Bengals at No. 5

The Bengals may get a chance to reunite Joe Burrow with Ja'Marr Chase on Thursday night

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2021 12:59 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — The Bengals should take Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth pick in tonight's NFL Draft. Of course, that's assuming he's still on the board after the first four selections.

After months of debate, it's that simple.

Here are three reasons why the Bengals should chase Chase at No. 5 and address their offensive line issues later in the draft.

The Better Prospect

For as much of a freak as Oregon tackle Penei Sewell is, most NFL teams and evaluators seem to have Chase ahead of him on their boards. There's a big difference between the two prospects on Daniel Jeremiah's big board. Dane Brugler has Chase ranked higher and the Bengals reportedly do too, which is why they're targeting the 21-year-old at No. 5.

Chase is not only the highest-ranked wide receiver in this year's class, but he would be well ahead of guys like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and the stellar pass catchers that entered the NFL last year.

Some think he's the next Julio Jones. Others believe he can be a bigger Steve Smith or a more explosive Anquan Boldin.

If the Bengals have Chase higher than Sewell on their board, there's no reason why they shouldn't take him at No. 5. He addresses a need and is a high-end talent. Anytime you can marry those two things in the draft, you do it.

The Bengals may get their chance on Thursday night.

Value Matters

If the NFL Draft was only one round, then it would be hard to pass on Sewell. Everyone knows the Bengals need to fix their offensive line.

This class of linemen is much deeper than this class of receivers, especially when you take into account what the Bengals are looking for at wide-out. They don't need a slot receiver or a big possession guy. They need a dynamic outside threat that can consistently win against No. 1 cornerbacks and stretch the field.

Chase fits that description perfectly, but he's one of the few that checks all of the boxes.

On the flip side, there are at least a dozen offensive linemen in rounds 2-4 that could come in and be a day one starter at right guard, which is their biggest weakness.

Even if the Alex Leatherwood and Sam Cosmi's don't fall to round two, guys like [in ni particular order] Ben Cleveland, Aaron Banks, Walker Little, Stone Forsythe, Dillon Radunz, Liam Eichenberg, Landon Dickerson, Creed Humphrey, Quinn Meinerz and plenty of others could be quality targets on day two.

Joe Burrow will benefit from having a combination of Chase and one or two of those lineman versus having Sewell, maybe another lineman and a third round wide receiver that might not fit what the Bengals are looking for.

Cincinnati played with three wide receivers 82% of the time last season. Finding someone that can play the 'X' position and win consistently on the outside is crucial. There aren't many receivers in this draft that will be ready to do that on day one. There are plenty of lineman that should be ready to protect Burrow.

Not only is Chase considered the better prospect in most NFL evaluators eyes, but he's also playing a specific position that is much thinner in this draft.

Skipping a Step

At some point the Bengals have to skip a step. They got their quarterback last offseason, but they still have plenty of holes to fill.

Pairing Burrow with a star receiver like Chase in an offense that already has Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon is exactly how to win in today's NFL.

Of course the offensive line has to improve, but if they don't address Burrow's weapons, we're going to be talking about wide receiver being a need a year from now.

There's a reason Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay and it wasn't because they planned on taking Tristan Wirfs in the first round. It was because they had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and we're flexible enough to add guys like Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette.

Upgrading the offensive line in the draft isn't enough. The Bengals have to take multiple steps forward over the next three days.

Adding a dynamic playmaker and upgrading the line needs to be the priority.

Taking Chase at No. 5 and addressing the offensive line in rounds 2-7 is the most realistic path to accomplishing both goals.

For the latest on free agency and the NFL Draft, bookmark AllBengals and check out some of our other articles below.

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