Inside Look at Bengals’ Decision to Draft Colbie Young in Round 4

The Bengals selected Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young in the fourth round (140th overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Young is a big, fast and physical wide receiver, but didn't have high-end production and character questions hurt his draft status. The Bengals had a third round grade on Young and were comfortable taking him in the fourth round.

When he was still on the board, even after they traded back from pick 110 and selected center Connor Lew at 128 overall, it was an easy decision for Cincinnati to roll the dice on a player they feel has tremendous upside.

"Excited about Colbie Young. I feel like he really complements our receiver group," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "A really high opinion of him. Did a lot of research on him. Pitch (Dan Pitcher) went down there along with some of our other coaches. (We) feel good about the background work we’ve done on him. Georgia returned him to play and felt really confident with his character. We’ve done a lot of research on him and (we’re) really excited to add Colbie to our mix."

Young pled no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was put on probation after domestic violence charges were initially filed against him. He was reinstated to Georgia's team, which certainly played a factor in the Bengals' comfort level with his character.

"Talking to all the humans we talked to that really stood on the table for him," Taylor said. "Georgia went through the whole process, returned him to play. So just really felt comfortable with the person we're adding to our locker room, the person we're adding to our community."

Young pled no contest to disorderly conduct after prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of battery and assault on an unborn child. The woman involved retracted her statement to police. She also asked for the charges to be dismissed.

"For them to take me in this round, this pick right now, there's just nothing but love and respect for them," Young said. "I respect that. [They looked] at the individual that they're actually getting and that's not portrayed on the internet, social media. They're getting a guy who's ready to work."

Jermaine Burton 2.0?

Naturally, Young is going to be compared to former Bengals third round pick Jermaine Burton. Burton spent less than two seasons with the club after they selected him with the 80th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

He showed up late, had off the field issues and could never figure it out, despite multiple chances. It's also worth noting that Taylor was a big believer in Burton. The veteran head coach is entering his eighth season. He's comfortable with the homework they did on Young and his character.

“There’s been times I’ve signed up for great risk in the past,” Taylor said. “I’ve put my hand up when maybe there are some of those red flags up there. This is one that I feel great about because you go through the process of the last seven years, guys I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with once we got them in here and guys I wanted, and sometimes it’s more difficult than others. This is one I feel great about. And I feel great everyone is going to feel that.”

Football Fit

Sep 7, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Colbie Young (8) gets a lift from teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Young certainly could fit well in the Bengals' wide receivers room alongside Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas. Giving Joe Burrow another big target to throw to and someone that can win on back shoulder throws and contested catch situations makes sense on paper.

“He’s a guy who, (when) you go down there in person (and) you stand next to him—he just feels like a starting NFL wide receiver," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "He’s built that way. His physical skill set is that of a starting NFL wide receiver. And then when you spend time around him, which we have at multiple different points throughout this process, you really get an appreciation for his football intelligence, his love of the game, and all the things that are going to make him a really good pro on top of what he’s been gifted with physically. I would just say that it’s not often you get a chance to add a player with a combination of those things at the level we added him at or at the time we added him at. So, we’re really excited.”

Iosivas is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Young has a unique skillset. It'll be up to wide receivers coach Troy Walters and the rest of the coaching staff to get the most out of him.

"We expect him to come in here and compete for a role," Taylor said. "A guy like that comes in and competes. I know our guys are always up to the challenge to welcome new guys to the mix."

Watch Taylor, Radicevic and Pitcher disucss the Young pick in the video below:

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