Bengals: RB Chase Brown deemed best value pick in the fifth round
The 2023 NFL Draft was a successful one for the Cincinnati Bengals. On the first two days, it was all about the defense as they selected edge rusher Myles Murphy, cornerback DJ Turner, and safety Jordan Battle, all excellent picks. On Day 3, the Bengals shifted their focus to the offensive side of the ball, […]
The 2023 NFL Draft was a successful one for the Cincinnati Bengals. On the first two days, it was all about the defense as they selected edge rusher Myles Murphy, cornerback DJ Turner, and safety Jordan Battle, all excellent picks.
On Day 3, the Bengals shifted their focus to the offensive side of the ball, and in a draft where plenty of premium talent fell, running back Chase Brown, a two-time All-Big 12 performer at Illinois was snagged by the Bengals with the 163rd pick.
ESPN feels that the selection was not only good by the Bengals, but it's being called the best value pick of the fifth round.
The Bengals will have hard decisions to make in the near future about running back Joe Mixon. And Brown, who ran for more than 1,600 yards at Illinois last year, has a similar hard-charging, downhill running style that will endear him to the offensive staff.
Chase was very over the last two years at Illinois with over 2,600 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He's built like a small tank at 5'9 1/2" and 209 pounds, but Chase brings a few very important traits to the Bengals' offense.
Chase ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, and if you watch his film, the breakaway speed and ability to make one cut and explode can't be denied. He's also got athleticism in his toolbox, which he showed at NFL Combine with a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10'7" in the broad jump.
As mentioned earlier, Mixon's future in Cincinnati is quite murky, so for the Bengals to get Chase not only fills a potential big hole but they were able to address other big needs before doing so. It's the classic case of the Bengals letting the draft fall to them.
