Player: John Ross
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Washington
Draft Review:
The man who broke the 40-yard dash record we often wondered if we'd ever see happen, Ross's lone run at the combine increased the buzz that surrounded his name. Even with multiple injuries throughout college that raised long-term durability concerns, the Cincinnati Bengals saw a receiver who could complement A.J. Green well and they took him with the ninth overall selection.
Cincinnati selected him after two wide receivers already went inside the top-10 and they finished things off to make it three receivers in the top-10 selections. Cincinnati wanted to get explosive players for its offense and to surround Andy Dalton with more weapons, Ross does exactly that. If he's healthy heading into camp, which he seems to be, Ross should have a very good opportunity to compete right away and start making a good impression on coaches and his quarterback.
What the Scouts Say:
"Ross is an instant-impact weapon who scored 23 touchdowns in just 112 touches. He should be able to step right in as a kick returner and a slot receiver, but teams with speed at tight end might utilize him outside to create extreme vertical stress on opposing safeties. If his knees check out as healthy, Ross is a likely first-round pick with the rare ability to become a high-volume slot receiver or a lesser-targeted, high-yield deep-ball threat."
NFL Media
A speed demon on the field, Ross is largely seen as a pure deep threat. That's not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, especially when he draws numerous comparisons to DeSean Jackson. But Ross impressed during his time at Washington on the underneath routes and found ways to use his speed and feet to create separation inside the red zone and get open on quick routes.
Windows will be smaller at the next level and defensive backs will be faster and more disciplined, but Ross shows the ability to create enough separation to give his quarterback an opportunity to fit it in the window. He'll never be a No.1 receiver, but Ross will make some big plays as a rookie and be a threat defenses have to deal with and pay attention to deep down the field for years to come.
Depth Chart Competition
In terms of target opportunities, this isn't ideal right now for Ross. While he is talented enough to be one of Cincinnati's top three receivers. But in terms of the hierarchy of targets, Ross will find himself fourth in the order. Green and Eifert make up for a majority of the targets as is and have developed years of chemistry with Dalton.
Fantasy Outlook:
Ross should be off the fantasy radar in non-keeper leagues this season. While we could see some big plays posted on Twitter throughout camp and some big moments when the preseason rolls around, the target shares aren't there to give him consistency. So that leaves deep balls and as we've seen time and time again, it's far too difficult to predict when those will come in fantasy.
Long-term, Ross' outlook still solidifies him as a firm top-eight selection in rookie drafts. While Dalton isn't the greatest quarterback fit for Ross, as we've seen with numerous off-target throws on deep balls to Ross, he is in a situation where he can learn from one of the best wide receivers in the game and they'll help each other by keeping the defenses balanced and not able to slide extra help over to one side too often.