Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; John Ross (Washington) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 9 overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals missed the playoffs in 2016, but hope that rookie John Ross can help remedy their issues. Looking at the film, can he do that?
With the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to surprise some people by taking Washington wide receiver John Ross, who comes into the league with a shoulder injury and potentially serious long-term knee concerns. That said, Ross also set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash ever at the NFL Combine, clocking in at 4.22. And his college film tells the story of an athlete with an unnatural ability to change direction on the fly.
Draft picks are made for the long-term, but I have a feeling that Marvin Lewis and the Bengals are hoping that Ross can be an immediate difference-maker. Lewis seems almost immortal at this stage, but a second straight missed playoff appearance could always spell doom for the NFL's less successful version of Arsene Wenger. If Ross can live up to his draft stock, the Bengals could have one of the league's most exciting wide receiver duos.
Marvin Jones was hardly a superstar wide receiver for the Bengals, but A.J. Green's "Robin" had himself a strong 2015 season before moving on to the Detroit Lions. Jones caught 65 passes for 816 yards in 2015, and the Bengals replaced him with Brandon LaFell, who posted similar numbers with 64 receptions for 862 yards.
The problem is that he was far less effective than Jones statistically, as he compiled similar numbers merely by benefiting from the six games that Green missed. Jones had a higher catch rate than LaFell did in his lone season with the Bengals thus far. Furthermore, while rookie Tyler Boyd chipped in with 54 receptions of his own, he also had a lower catch rate than Mohamed Sanu (now with the Atlanta Falcons) did in 2015.
Cincinnati's offense finished 14th in the league in net yards per pass attempt. Andy Dalton isn't exactly an Internet darling and is, more or less, a mediocre quarterback. However, Dalton was one of the top performers at the position in 2015 with a 106.1 QB Rating, and it isn't far-fetched to think that he could put up strong numbers in 2017 with better production from his receivers.
So how does Ross help that? Let's go to the film.
Apr 28, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals first round draft pick John Ross holds up his No. 15 jersey with head coach Marvin Lewis in a press conference at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK
What John Ross Can Bring To The Table
That production could start with Ross. Expectations for rookie wide receivers should always be tempered, and Bengals fans knew not to expect much from Boyd, who came out of Pittsburgh as a polished-but-boring second-round pick. However, we've seen wide receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas have early success in this league. The key here is that Beckham Jr. and Thomas were two of the smartest players in the country when they were in college.
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It can be difficult to ascertain how intelligent a wide receiver is. In the case of Thomas, he had this innate ability to find space after the catch and was a route-running technician who never wasted movements. Beckham, on the other hand, always managed to play "bigger" than his size dictated, consistently gaining leverage on the defensive back, and his impeccable timing allowed him to be open at the top of his route in just about every case.
This play against Stanford intrigues me, because it's a case of Ross and quarterback Jake Browning being on the same page to generate an easy first down. This play occurs on second-and-2, with the cornerback initially lined up close to Ross to prevent an easy pitch-and-catch. Throughout the 2016 college football season, Ross would receive massive cushions from defensive backs, because they all knew that he could easily burn them for a touchdown if they didn't respect his speed. This allowed him to earn plenty of easy first downs, which leads to a problem that I will address later.
So Ross signals something to Browning, and the defense changes its alignment. The free safety moves closer to the line of scrimmage (he does not blitz on this play, though), and the cornerback covering Ross gives him that cushion. What happens is Browning drops back, waits for Ross to make his move, and hits his receiver for one of the easiest first downs you will see.
Washington used this type of Go/Out route option liberally, using one or the other depending on how tight the cornerback's coverage looked pre-snap. On the one hand, it's nice to see this type of communication and recognition between both quarterback and receiver, but this highlights the fact that Ross's route tree was limited, partially because he didn't need to be a technician in order to get open.
At the heart of the matter is a prospect's ability to recognize their strengths and how to use them. For example, Mike Evans knew how to bully defensive backs at the catch point, and even good-but-not-great prospect Davante Adams had telepathic abilities on back-shoulder throws from Derek Carr.
So I think this play is more than just, "LOL, that dude fell!" In a way, it reminds me of this oft-clippeded play that Michael Thomas pulled on Kendall Fuller in the 2015 season.
Check out this camera angle of the play. That hard fake inside is just nuts, and I'm not sure any other player pulls this off. It takes a mind-boggling amount of explosiveness to generate that kind of speed after bouncing off of his right leg, especially when he took that long of a jab inside. Usually, a move like this is unwise for most players, but Ross knows he can pull it off. It's hard not to feel bad for the USC cornerback — No. 18 overall pick Adoree' Jackson, for what it's worth — because he basically turned into Jerome Boateng trying to defend Lionel Messi.
It's so important for a prospect who relies on elite athletic ability to be supremely confident in his natural gifts, and Ross fits that bill. I see comparisons to DeSean Jackson and Brandin Cooks floating around, and Ross is more of a hybrid of the two. He has Jackson's long speed and explosiveness along with Cooks' slick ability to cut on a dime. But he might be physically weaker than both of them.
Because defenses gave him so much space out of fear for his speed, he never had to work in tight spaces. Ross showed little ability at the catch point, his play strength is clearly a massive weakness (he never had to bench during the pre-draft process), and he isn't adept at breaking tackles.
A lack of physical strength can be a problem for an incoming player, and that will be something to monitor, given that the Bengals likely want a first-year spark from Ross. After all, if Ross's knee injuries shorten his career, an early impact is a must in order for the Bengals to receive a fitting return on investment for the ninth overall pick.
If Ross's play strength is an issue, it could make his rookie season more about becoming stronger in the NFL than being a big factor. And yes, a lack of strength at the wide receiver position is important, particularly for a deep threat. Many of Ross's big-play opportunities will be contested, and small nudges become a factor when a player is moving at high speeds.
For as much as you can criticize Ross for his lack of strength, you can find plays like the one above as counterpoints. I always like to look at plays in critical situations, and a first-down reception on third-and-10 is pretty clutch. Once again, Ross is the only person Browning has eyes on, and he delivers. There are so many plays in which Browning just waits for Ross to make his cut or will even throw it to a spot before Ross makes the cut. On this play, he has to wait to see if Ross can beat the press coverage in the slot, but he wouldn't have time to fire off a pass if Ross didn't get open.
A big criticism I have of Ross is the fact that he lacks a "my ball" mentality, which is why I bristle slightly at direct comparisons to Cooks, who was a much tougher and slightly more well-rounded prospect at Oregon State. That said, Ross has even better long speed and short-area quickness than Cooks did, which can make him an entirely different beast.
Most of Ross's best plays occur when he gets an ample amount of space and can wiggle into a soft zone, breaks loose deep, or starts embarrassing people with his physical tools. Those traits should be evident in the clips I've shown, so I won't inundate you with more GIFs of typical John Ross Goodness.
Instead, I'll provide you with a final visual aid that showcases two things that give me hope that Ross will translate, despite the fact that he runs simplistic route trees and lucked into pass interference calls instead of making difficult contested catches.
Ross works himself open with his feet, splitting in between both defensive backs. A common theme when watching Washington tape is this: Ross gets open, and Browning simply doesn't have the anticipation to capitalize. Worse yet for the Huskies, Ross wisely works himself open after Browning misses the initial read, but the quarterback once again fails to take advantage. This play tells me that Ross can use his feet to win in the red zone in the Julian Edelman vein. And it also shows me that, like Josh Doctson last year, Ross is capable of improvising to help his quarterback.
John Ross NFL Combine
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross runs the 40 yard dash during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Why Bengals Fans Should Be Happy
The most obvious positive that Ross provides the Bengals is a deep threat who will command safety help on every snap he's on the field. His speed alone makes him a special talent, and it will help keep defenses honest when trying to cover Green, who could continue to post breath-taking numbers (that will be overshadowed by the attention most people pay to Antonio Brown, but whatever).
Now, that alone isn't why the Bengals drafted Ross with the ninth pick. The comparisons to Cooks raise an interesting point, because Cooks was "only" the 20th pick in the draft when the New Orleans Saints traded up for him. That draft class was loaded at the wide receiver position, but the expectations surrounding a ninth pick at wide receiver are high. Just ask Tavon Austin, who was the eighth pick in his class.
Ross was one of three wide receivers taken in the top 10 of this year's draft. So the Bengals will hope that he can establish himself as one of the league's best deep threats and No. 2 options.
There are plenty of risks surrounding Ross as a player, because the NFL is more congested. It's harder to find space, and it's nearly impossible to break loose as a wide receiver unless if there is a defensive breakdown. That said, Ross has enough plays in his catalogue that show he can translate to a tighter, more physical environment, and it's important to keep these examples in mind, especially since a few of them aren't "receptions" due to circumstances outside of Ross's control.
More importantly, players with Ross's unique speed, explosiveness, and agility are meant to succeed. Even with the increase in speed and physicality in the NFL, top-notch players still find a way to be game-breakers. Just take a look at how often DeSean Jackson and Tyler Lockett score game-changing touchdowns that make highlight reels. Ross is a similar talent, but, again, he isn't all speed.
His quick feet and smooth change-of-direction skills will allow him to run a variety of routes that he didn't run as frequently in college. As long as the Bengals are smart enough to use him correctly, they should be able to get the most out of his tools. He isn't a one-trick pony, and he showed signs that his limitations and lack of experience won't hold him back.
If the Bengals want to improve as an offense, a high degree of their success will be up to their offensive line, which looks weak on paper, and their ability to become more efficient on the ground after averaging just 4.0 yards per carry in 2016. But games often come down to just a few big plays, and the Bengals finally have a second pass-catching option who can swing the game in their favor on just one reception.
I'm not sure it is ideal to have him line up in the slot, but that's what the Bengals have in mind for savvy second-year man Tyler Boyd. He appears to be well-suited for the step up in competition in the NFL, and he could show new elements to his game when he becomes a complementary piece in an offense with competent supporting players and a safely above-average quarterback.
