John Ross Player Profile
John Ross is one of the best young receivers in this draft class. The speedy Washington receiver shocked the sports world with his 4.22 40-yard dash, and the Bengals snagged him with their 9th overall pick. He is paired with All-Pro A.J. Green who will be the perfect veteran to mentor the talented 21-year old receiver. With two speedy receivers, defensive coordinators will have to game plan how to contain this two-headed beast, because a cover one can’t contain both, and they will burn past any defender playing man-to-man.
Many people don’t know that John Ross played both sides of the ball in his early years at Washington. He was such an athlete that the Washington coaches weren’t sure how to utilize his talents. In 2014, Marcus Peters was kicked off the team and he played corner until he tore his ACL to end his season. He says that was the best thing to happen to him because he locked himself in the film room and studied the game. He began working out with DeSean Jackson, and he attributes his 2016 success to the advice he received from Jackson. In his redshirt Junior season, Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Ross will head to Cincinnati with fellow speedy rookie Josh Malone from Tennessee. Ross will be an immediate starter along with A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell. He will play with Andy Dalton, who is going to have the best season of his career throwing to this stable of receivers. I expect John Ross will be one of the top 3 rookie receivers in the league. He will be Dalton’s favorite target aside from Green, and he will take the NFL by storm. John Ross will receive 115 targets for 85 catches, 1,100 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He will be a top finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year.