Biggest risk of the Bengals’ 2026 NFL Draft class has more than just an off-field incident attached to him
Former Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young was drafted with the No. 140 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Young may only be a fourth-round pick, but the Bengals are taking a risk investing in him.
The Cincinnati Bengals were not originally positioned to pick No. 140 in the 2026 NFL Draft before a savvy trade down with the New York Jets was conducted. That pick turned into former Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young.
It also turned into the Bengals’ biggest risk of the draft.
Cincinnati’s seven picks were comprised of mostly young, high-quality athletes with promising collegiate production and only positives on the character side.
Young checks the least amount of those boxes out of any player drafted by the Bengals.
There’s significant upside if Young hits. He’s 6-4, 218 pounds with great speed for his size. He’s a big play waiting to happen whether he’s thrown the ball at or well beyond the line of scrimmage. The incoming environment of developing behind a premier starting trio of receivers is one that should only benefit him.
But the risks are worthy of declaring before his time in Cincy begins.
Colbie Young’s past two years have been rough
Young transferred from Miami to Georgia in 2024. He was an ascending wideout at just 21 years old and walking into a true college football contender.
He was suspended from the program after just five games.
Young was arrested on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault on Oct. 8, 2024. The incident report obtained by ESPN states a 20-year-old woman, who described herself as Young’s ex-girlfriend, visited Young at his apartment around midnight the night before to discuss their relationship. Below are details from the report:
When the conversation became heated after she discovered he was on the phone with another woman, the complainant said Young “grabbed her left arm near her biceps and triceps and physically pulled her out of his room.” The woman said Young was “using derogatory terms and being demeaning of her.” She said Young went back to his room and locked the door. The woman told police she started to collect her belongings when a friend called her phone. When she answered, the woman told police, “Mr. Young came out and grabbed her from behind. She said that he picked her up and began to squeeze her torso and abdomen very hard. She said she felt like [Young] was trying to harm her.” The officer noted in the report that he observed a bruise and discoloration on the bottom of the woman’s chest where it meets the abdomen and redness on her right side. The police officer transported the woman to an Athens hospital for treatment.
Mark schlabach
ESPN Senior College Football Writer
Georgia separated itself from Young while the investigation persisted. The woman would eventually retract her statement and initial charges were dropped. He pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct on Jan. 29 2025, and received 12 months probation.
Young’s arrest and subsequent punishment are the main story when it comes to his background. His 2025 didn’t go as planned either, but for a much different reason.
Almost a year after his arrest, Young suffered a fractured left fibula with a torn ligament. He had surgery and managed to come back after six games.
In total, Young only played 13 games for the Bulldogs in two years. His production profile suffered because of it. He accounted for just 7.2% of Georgia’s passing yardage during his two years. His peak collegiate season came in 2023 when he was responsible for 16.8% of Miami’s passing yardage.
The involvement level of a college receiver has been historically predictive of how successful the receiver’s NFL career will be. Young falls well short of what the vast majority of long-term starters were prior to the league. That’s not to say he can’t hold a role in an offense, but becoming a long-term piece of the puzzle would be an unexpected outcome. He’s also turning 24 before his rookie season begins. Older players without substantial production tend to flame out more than the opposite.
Young’s off-field past and on-field production are completely cases, but both factor into his overall risk profile, even as a Day 3 pick.
Zac Taylor puts his credibility on the line
The Bengals knew if they drafted Young, they need to know exactly who they’re bringing into the building. The release of Jermaine Burton was only a few months ago. Parallels, however warranted or unwarranted, between the two players proved to be inevitable.
Head coach Zac Taylor personally bought all the way in to Burton in 2024. He was seen completely stoked about selecting the former Georgia and then Alabama receiver with the No. 80 pick in the draft that year.
Taylor is accountable for that, and is making it known ahead of time his confidence in Young as a person is thoroughly backed with the research they conducted on him.
“There’s been times I’ve signed up for great risk in the past,” Taylor told media members Saturday. “I’ve put my hand up when maybe there are some of those red flags up there. This is one that I feel great about because you go through the process of the last seven years, guys I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with once we got them in here and guys I wanted, and sometimes it’s more difficult than others.
“This is one I feel great about. And I feel great everyone is going to feel that.”
Taylor pointed to Georgia accepting Young back onto the team following the investigation and dropped charges as another reason for buying in on his newest pass-catcher. The incident looks like a major outlier on the surface of who Young is as a person.
The Bengals are certainly banking on that.
The hope for Colbie Young
Young came off the board when he did because of what he looks like on the field. You don’t have to squint to see a player who is built, and moves, similarly to Tee Higgins. Having one receiver like that is an advantage. Having two is borderline unfair.
Higgins would be an unquestioned No. 1 receiver in great number of NFL offenses. His career is a mighty successful one. It would be a massive success if Young comes close to that outcome.
Higgins was also three years younger than Young coming into the NFL and was significantly more productive in college. The former was damn near a first-round pick. The latter was taken right before the fifth round. There are levels to this.
Young doesn’t have to be Higgins to be a successful pick. Lasting in the league beyond his rookie contract as a somewhat involved receiver would be enough to justify the investment.
Will he ever be a long-term starter? History says doubtful, but those can most definitely be found in the fourth round. Cincinnati is planning on that result for center Connor Lew, who was drafted 12 picks ahead of Young.
The Bengals wisely navigated throughout the draft. Young being their biggest risk in the direct middle of the class speaks to their process. It’s now up to the team and Young proving each other right.
