Wide receiver is one of the deepest positions in the NFL Draft every year, meaning that high-level contributors can be found on all three days. Cincinnati Bengals rookie Jermaine Burton received the “draft day steal” label from pundits after falling to the third round.
However, the Alabama product has not gotten off to the smoothest start in the NFL. We take a look at Burton’s rookie season to date, as well as some of the reasons he fell in the draft.
Jermaine Burton’s Rookie Season Has Been Rocky
Burton has been a non-factor in the Bengals’ wide receiver room this season, despite Tee Higgins missing time with multiple injuries.
Entering Week 10, Burton has two catches for 88 yards on five targets in 2024. He’s played a total of 48 snaps, with half of those coming in the Bengals’ Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
While that Eagles game should have represented the start of a larger role for Burton, he was subsequently made inactive for Week 9 versus the Las Vegas Raiders due to missed practices. The rookie also didn’t exactly cover himself in glory by showing up in pajama pants to the game.
Jermaine Burton arrives before today’s game against the Raiders. pic.twitter.com/xbslST0Qoa
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) November 3, 2024
When asked about the issues that led to his deactivation in Week 9 on Nov. 5, Burton simply stated “just gotta be better” to every question.
Bengals WR Jermaine Burton spoke to a couple of reporters during open locker room. Here's what he said following his missed walkthrough, inactive status in Sunday's game against the Raiders:
(via @Local12Skinny) pic.twitter.com/I7LvjHcAHK
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 5, 2024
Unfortunately, this fits some of the pre-draft concerns surrounding Burton. When describing the most important factor for Burton to succeed in the NFL, his Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t point to an on-field factor.
“I really, really like this guy, [but] the No. 1 thing that he needs to do — and I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it — is do the right things all the time,” Saban told Creg Stephenson of AL.com.
“But you’ve got to do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can do. … When you get emotional, you make bad decisions and lose your brain.”
Alabama Wide Receivers Have Thrived in the NFL
Burton began his career at Georgia, playing there in 2020 and 2021. The Bulldogs happened to beat Alabama during his sophomore season in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
He transferred to Alabama for his final two seasons, though, and now has a long lineage of great wide receivers to live up to. During Saban’s tenure from 2007-23, Alabama had 12 wide receivers drafted, including eight in the first round. Among the most notable:
- Julio Jones: 13 seasons, 13,703 receiving yards, 66 receiving TDs, seven-time Pro Bowler, and member of the 2010s Hall of Fame All-Decade Team
- Amari Cooper: 10 seasons, 9,805 receiving yards, 63 receiving TDs, and five-time Pro Bowler
- Calvin Ridley: Six seasons, 4,757 receiving yards, and 37 receiving TDs
- DeVonta Smith: Four seasons, 3,651 receiving yards, and 23 receiving TDs
- Jaylen Waddle: Four seasons, 3,695 receiving yards, and 19 receiving TDs
While Burton isn’t expected to be a Pro Bowl-level player right away, there is a real opportunity in a Bengals offense about to undergo transition. Higgins is exceedingly likely to leave in free agency after playing 2024 under the franchise tag, while tight end Mike Gesicki is also playing on a one-year contract.
Burton had enough talent to join the recent parade of wide receivers to go Round 1 out of Tuscaloosa, Ala. But halfway through his rookie season, Burton has yet to demonstrate that he can perform at an NFL level, on or off the field.