Auden Tate named Bengals most underrated player
Most Bengals fans expect the team to be much more successful than they were a year ago.
From drafting Joe Burrow to signing D.J. Reader, the roster is much different. One of their strongest position groups is wide receiver.
A.J. Green is expected to return to his normal self after missing all of last season with an ankle injury.
Tyler Boyd is coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and John Ross showed flashes before he got injured in 2019.
The Bengals added another weapon in the NFL Draft when they selected Tee Higgins with the No. 33 pick.
Burrow should be a happy camper throwing to a quartet of Green, Boyd, Ross and Higgins.
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr believes Auden Tate is the most underrated player on the team.
"This is a difficult one, seeing as the Bengals were very properly rated as a unit last year and that their best players, outside of Carlos Dunlap, were brought in during a miniature offseason spending spree," Orr wrote. "I was tempted to put Darius Phillips here, given his phenomenal play down the stretch, though the sample size (one 'complete' game in particular) wasn’t enough. Still, a 37% opposing completion percentage on a handful of heavily-targeted appearances ain’t bad. As for Tate, he was solid as a blocker and while the catch rate was bad for a player who logged heavy snaps (50%) he did make more out of his time with the ball than expected, with a plus-rated xYAC. When he’s single covered against an inferior, smaller defensive back (see: Baltimore game from 2019) he can make people pay."
Tate, 23, had 40 receptions for 575 yards and one touchdown last year. He should complement the rest of the wide receiver core nicely. At 6-5, 227 pounds, Tate has the size to thrive with an accurate quarterback like Burrow.
The Bengals' wide receivers are extremely talented. It's arguably the best position group on the team and Tate is a big reason why.
Let's hope we get to watch him and the rest of the wide receivers catch passes from Burrow this season.
