Anonymous NFL executive poses important question the Bengals will have to answer about their bold draft pick
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted former Georgia wide receiver in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Using Young on the field alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins may have its challenges, as an anonymous NFL executive points out.
Colbie Young has a chance to play meaningful snaps as a rookie wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati was able to draft Young with the second of its two fourth-round picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. Analysts pegged the 23-year old as a late Day 3 pick, so it was a slight surprise to see him come off the board before the fifth round arrived.
The Bengals targeted him from the start of round because they view him as a potential starter. The question now becomes how to get him on the field.
Colbie Young Stats & Facts
The Cincinnati Bengals used the No. 140 pick in the 2026 draft on former Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young.
- Young, one of 15 children in his family, started his college career at Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA. He caught 24 passes for 472 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone junior college season in 2021.
- Miami (FL) landed Young as a JUCO transfer in 2022. He played in 22 games, catching 79 passes for 930 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons.
- Young finished his college career with two years at Georgia. He only played in 13 games as he was suspended from the team for nine games, and injured for another six.
Anonymous exec questions Bengals’ plan for Colbie Young
Young brings an imposing size at 6-4, 218 pounds. That’s the frame of a traditional X receiver.
Cincinnati has two dominant wideouts who operate mostly on the outside in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. For every one snap Young played in the slot in college, he played nearly nine out wide.
The mixing of all three of them on the field at once has at least one NFL executive curious, as he shared with The Athletic’s Mike Sando.
“Young is legit — he’s big, and he’s got good hips and really good instincts for route running. He is an outside receiver, though, so there is no one who can play the slot for them unless they put Ja’Marr Chase in there. It’s a helluva value pick. I just don’t know how you play all three at once.”
Anonymous NFL exec to The Athletic's Mike Sando
The Athletic.com
It’s a fair question. Young is going to push Andrei Iosivas for playing time this upcoming season, but figuring out his role is going to be a challenge for the Bengals.
The challenge may also allow Cincy to fully unleash Chase where he’s been used more and more over the past few years.
Ja’Marr Chase’s slot usage could increase playing with Colbie Young
Every defense planning to face the Bengals knows stopping Chase is priority No. 1. That means Cincinnati must remain creative in getting him the ball. It’s why coach Zac Taylor and Co. have used him in the slot about a third of the time over the last two seasons. 33.1% to be exact.
That percentage may increase with Young on the field.
Using Chase in the slot more often would allow Young to execute route concepts he’s most familiar with on the outside. Chase has also been very productive out of the slot. He ranked fifth in yards per route run (1.97) out of 16 players with at least 50 slot targets last season. Emphasizing his role there could open up different opportunities, especially if Young becomes dependable on the outside immediately.
The upside of Young hitting the ground running with Chase fully unleashed in the slot is tantalizing to think about. Above all, he gives the Bengals options. He may be faced with playing in the slot more than he’s used to. If he’s not ready to start, Iosivas and tight end Mike Gesicki are the featured players above him on the depth chart anyways.
