If you’re a talented tight end looking to make bank after playing with Joe Burrow for a year, the Cincinnati Bengals will be interested in you. Irv Smith Jr. is set to become the latest example.
Smith is the third starter the Bengals have had at the position in as many years. C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst have set the bar for the former second-round pick to clear, and there’s plenty of optimism that he’ll do just that.
Some of the hype is coming from the guy behind him on the depth chart.
Drew Sample was picked not long after Smith in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the two are now teammates on cost-effective one-year deals in Cincinnati.
Sample has long been the team’s No. 2 tight end, and in his eyes, his newest running mate looks different compared to those who came before him.
“C.J. (Uzomah) and Hayden (Hurst) are great. For Irv, I think he may be the smoothest of those guys,” Sample told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Getting in and out of his breaks. He’s a very smooth route runner. He can get down the seam. Makes a lot of cuts like receivers. All great players, Irv just brings his different spin to it.”
Smith’s tape certainly speaks for itself. His biggest selling point coming out of Alabama was his athleticism, as his speed for the position isn’t too common. Uzomah and Hurst are good athletes as well, but Smith’s movement ability is just greater.
And it needs to be considering the drawbacks. Smith doesn’t possess the same size as either Uzomah or Hurst, and his lack of durability has drastically hindered his last two seasons.
Being available is what can make Smith the most valuable. His presence in minicamp already has him on the right path.
“Forget about the talent. He’s a talented guy. We knew that’s what we’ve seen on tape so that didn’t surprise me in anyway,” head coach Zac Taylor said regarding Smith. “But I think just how quickly he’s integrated himself has been really impressive.”
Smith is setting himself up to raise the standards at the position for Cincinnati. Uzomah and Hurst posted similar numbers the past two seasons, but neither could crack 500 receiving yards.
Injecting more speed and smoothness as a receiver should allow Smith to cross that threshold for the first time in his career with Burrow as his QB.
The Bengals made a wager by making Smith the only notable addition to the tight end room this offseason, but the potential reward is very tantalizing. It’s all about keeping that smoothness on the field, and off the injury report.
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