Jermaine Burton

Jermaine Burton emerged as a standout receiver during his senior year at Alabama, boasting a 30% dominator rating and showcasing his dynamic playmaking abilities. His time at Georgia also demonstrated his talent, despite facing competition for targets. Notably, Burton's deep-threat capability was highlighted by his high average depth of target (aDOT) and impressive efficiency (zero recorded drops in 2023) making him a promising prospect for the Bengals after being drafted in the third round. While concerns exist regarding occasional off-field issues, Burton's potential impact in Cincinnati's passing game could be significant, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Tee Higgins' future with the team.

Burton has the speed to burn. His acceleration is one of the first standout traits that jump off the film. He can erase cushions and make defensive backs hate life in an instant with double moves. It's insane and so much fun to watch. He's not just a field stretcher. Burton has big-time route-running chops. He flashes smooth changes of direction and the ability to cut on a dime. He has some red-zone whip routes that make corners look absolutely silly. He deploys jab steps, pace variations, and leverage manipulation in his routes. He can win at all three levels. Burton has top-shelf deep ball tracking. He secured a big-time throw, illuminating this perfectly against Ole Miss in 2023. He also has consistent late hands as he leaves corners guessing. He needs to improve his boundary awareness, but he displays good body control on back shoulder throws with the ability to sky and secure balls outside of his frame and behind him. Burton has a strong set of hands at the catch point. He sports only a 2.9% drop rate and a 52.6% contested catch rate in college. Burton also flashes some physicality after the catch with a strong enough base to slip tackles.