Who knows what would have happened throughout the NFL playoffs had Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton not injured his thumb late in the regular season? Though the former second-rounder still doesn't have a post-season victory under his belt, the Bengals were arguably the NFL's most well-rounded team this side of the Arizona Cardinals for much of the regular-season. It's possible, even likely, they could have finally broken through this year.
But Dalton will now have a new challenge to face when the 2016 season rolls around. Wide receivers Marvin Jones, Mohamad Sanu and Brandon Tate will be free agents this offseason. Though A.J. Green is locked up long-term and Tyler Eifert is still in town, it's not easy for a QB to lose so many targets. ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay projects the Bengals to take Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller with the No. 24 overall pick in his Mock Draft 2.0., but is that really the best course of action?
"This might be a bit of a reach, but the Bengals could certainly use a versatile offensive weapon like Miller," McShay wrote. "He was the best pure athlete on the field during Senior Bowl practices, dazzling in agility drills and one-on-ones. His precise route-running ability is not indicative of a player who has been playing the position full time for less than a year. With three WRs set to be free agents, Cincinnati has lots of question marks after A.J. Green at that position."
As McShay mentioned, Miller is a supreme athlete with legit speed. But is he really worthy of a first-round pick? Though talented, Miller remains unproven at the position.
In his lone season as a WR, Miller produced a couple of nice highlight plays, but caught just 25 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. He has not yet proven consistent enough to be put in the same first-round conversation as Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson and other impressive pass-catchers. None of this is to say that Miller will be a bust in the NFL. But he does carry a lot of risk as a first-round pick.
