The Cincinnati Bengals do not need former Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young to become Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins overnight.
That is both a blessing and an opportunity for the Bengals’ 2026 fourth-round pick, but Higgins praised Young’s ability and drew comparisons to himself, according to Bengals.com.
“I see a lot of me in him. From my rookie year for sure,” Higgins said of Young at a recent offseason workout. “He’s got raw talent … He’s got all the tools … Good hands. He’s a really good route runner. Just a few things that I see. What he can work on. I saw that in myself when I was his age.”
Why Colbie Young Fits With Cincinnati
Young is in a good spot in Cincinnati, insulated from the issues that often plague backup receivers on stagnant offenses.
The Bengals selected the former Bulldog in the fourth round with the No. 140 overall pick after trading with the New York Jets, adding a 6-foot-4-plus, 218-pound target with the kind of frame Cincinnati has long valued on the perimeter.
The Bengals’ draft announcement noted Young’s college production, 116 catches, 1,437 yards and 13 touchdowns across Miami and Georgia, but the more important part of his profile may be how naturally he fits into Cincinnati’s offensive ecosystem.
Young is not walking into a barren depth chart.
Andrei Iosivas had 33 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns last season, and Iosivas has established trust with Cincinnati’s quarterbacks due to his three years on the squad.
The red zone is where Young can truly shine.
Defenses cannot shade toward Young when Chase is threatening every level of the field and Higgins is winning outside the numbers and in the red zone. For a rookie with contested-catch ability, that’s quite the friendly landing spot.
Young’s athletic traits only further the above argument.
NFL.com lists Young at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, and its draft profile noted his official 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 combine. For a receiver with that size, even functional vertical speed is enough to stress defensive backs — especially when he is running routes behind Chase and Higgins in the pecking order.
Young’s rookie breakout likely does not mean 1,000 yards, nor does it make him an immediate Higgins replacement.
It could look more like carving out the WR3 job, becoming a trusted red-zone target and giving Cincinnati another big-bodied option when defenses overcommit to its stars.
For a Bengals team already loaded at the top of the position, that would be more than enough.
Bengals’ Current Pass Catchers Are Dangerous
Cincinnati already enters 2026 with one of the NFL’s most deadly receiver tandems.
Chase is coming off a 2025 season in which he caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns, while Higgins earned his first Pro Bowl nod after posting 59 receptions, 846 yards and a career-high 11 receiving touchdowns in 15 games.
With both Higgins and Chase back, the receiver room again projects as one of the roster’s clear strengths. And bringing Young into the mix to compete for a supporting cast role will only sharpen the quality of Cincinnati’s powerful duo.
Bengals Star Sees Himself in Promising Rookie WR