Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver A.J. Green is showing while many draft analysts, including myself, considered him the best player in this year's NFL Draft.
Green has been in 296 of Cincinnati's 316 snaps on offense this season and targeted 41 times. He's become the key piece of Cincinnati's youth movement passing offense. Thus far, Green has 403 yards in five games, good for 13th in the league.
If Green stays on this pace, he'd top 70 catches and 1,200 yards receiving. That would be a better rookie season than fellow top-five wide receiver picks Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson.
Bengals rookie A.J. Green quickly proving himself
What’s most impressive is how Cincinnati is utilizing Green. While he’ll always be best on vertical routes, and the Bengals use him in that role a lot, he’s shown he can be a quick-strike receiver as well. His 10-catch game against the
in Week 2 was a clinic and proof why he was worth the fourth overall pick in the draft.
It’s scary is how much better Green should get throughout the season. He’s still getting his timing down with fellow rookie
and learning how to beat NFL coverages. If he continues to get this many touches, though, he’ll only get better.
Still, if it weren’t for Cam Newton, Green would be on the fast track for offensive rookie of the year honors. As it is, he may have to settle on making the Pro Bowl.
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