John Ross

Although he played only eight games and finished with only 28 catches, the ninth overall pick from 2017 took a step forward last year with 18.1 YPC, 9.0 YPT and 10 catches of 20-plus yards. At 5-11, 194, Ross has only average size but is among the fastest players ever to set foot in the NFL - 4.22 40 at the 2017 combine. He's also athletic and explosive - 37-inch vertical leap, 133-inch broad jump - and showed glimpses of his capabilities in Weeks 1-2 last year with 270 yards and three touchdowns. A.J. Green will be back in 2020, and with Tyler Boyd looking like the team's co-No. 1, along with Auden Tate and rookie Tee Higgins having roles, the competition for targets in Cincinnati has never been stiffer. But Joe Burrow could be an instant upgrade at quarterback, the offensive line can't help but improve, and Ross' skill set as a deep threat is unique enough to justify a role.

After a lost rookie year due to injuries, the ninth pick in the 2017 draft played 13 games last season. That was the good news. The bad news is Ross caught a meager 21 of his 58 targets (36 percent), thanks in part to six drops, and despite his blazing speed only three of those catches were for 20-plus yards, and none for 40-plus. That he somehow caught seven touchdowns is one of the great mysteries of our time. With new coach Zac Taylor in place, Ross should at least get a clean slate. Taylor gushed about Ross' college tape, and it's hard not to be enamored of his workout metrics - at 5-11, 190, he ran a scorching 4.22 40, an NFL combine record. He also had a 37-inch vertical leap and 133-inch broad jump. Ross figures to be the team's deep threat, albeit as a distant third option for targets behind A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. But Green's been increasingly prone to injuries as he's aged, including a recent ankle injury that will sideline him for at least a couple of games to start the season.

The ninth overall pick in last year's draft, Ross had a lost rookie season, missing 13 games with a knee injury and a torn labrum in his shoulder. At 5-11, 188, he has just average size, but he might be the fastest player in the league, as he ran a jaw-dropping 4.22 40 in 2017 to set a combine record. A.J. Green is still the team's undisputed No. 1 target, but Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd aren't serious obstacles when Ross is healthy, which he should be this season. At press time, his shoulder, on which he had surgery in December, has healed, and he's expected to be 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp. Just keep in mind the 23-year old entered the NFL with a medical history that included an ACL tear, two meniscus tears and microfracture surgery.

The ninth overall pick in the draft, Ross arrives in a crowded situation. Not only do the Bengals have a dominant No. 1 in A.J. Green, but established veteran Brandon LaFell, last year's second-rounder Tyler Boyd and top pass-catching tight end Tyler Eifert will also be involved. Throw in two pass-catching backs -- Gio Bernard and rookie Joe Mixon -- and it's hard to see Ross carving out a huge role. At 5-11, 190, Ross has average size for a normal wideout, but he ran a 4.22 40 at the Combine, the fastest time ever recorded. That gives him a bigger catch radius than the DeSean Jacksons and J.J. Nelsons of the world as he streaks behind defenses. A shoulder surgery kept him out of offseason team activities, and Ross had an ACL tear and two meniscus tears during college, but he's expected to be healthy for the start of training camp.