The Cincinnati Bengals’ choice of Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the NFL Draft last week went a little differently than the other 256 decisions.

The majority of the selections in the second and third rounds were announced by former NFL players. The third-round selection of Cincinnati was revealed by T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh addressed the Detroit audience on Friday night and said, “This pick means something to me, as I’ve been training this kid for a long time, and now he’s going to be drafted by the Bengals.” Cincinnati had selected Burton with the 80th pick.

When you think about it this way, it’s really sort of insane, said Burton. “I simply see it as a fortunate occasion.”

Houshmandzadeh played wide receiver for the Bengals for the first eight of his eleven NFL seasons, and in 2007, he set a record for most receptions in the league.

“Having T.J. train me over the last few years, even as I enter college, is truly amazing,” said Burton. It’s a pleasure working with him, really. It really helps me to know his background and history with football, as well as his level of knowledge about the game. It also helps to observe how he thinks, how he incorporates it into drills, how he speaks to you, and how he uses terminology. Additionally, our friendship grew to the point where we chatted about other topics, ordinary life issues, and a great deal of maturity and development.

With Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals boast one of the strongest wide receiver tandems in the NFL. But after Tyler Boyd finished his seventh season with the Bengals in 2023 with 67 receptions for 667 yards and two scores, Cincinnati decided not to re-sign him.

The Bengals’ pass-catching corps is still considered to have “one of the deepest receiver rooms in the league with talent and with character, so I’m excited about that group,” according to Cincinnati coach Zach Taylor.

Chase has 268 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons with Cincinnati. Higgins has had 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons with the Bengals.

Burton remarked, “Those guys have unbelievable ability and talent, along with great skill sets.” “I think we can all connect with one another and accomplish some really amazing things.”

Cincinnati finished 2023 with a 9-8 record despite losing quarterback Joe Burrow to a wrist injury in the team’s tenth game. The Bengals had made it to the AFC Championship Game twice and the Super Bowl once in the previous two seasons.

“I am more than blessed and honored to have the opportunity to play with Joe,” declared Burton.

Boyd was the main slot receiver for Cincinnati. Burton could play that position as well as others, according to Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher.

He’ll fit right in, Pitcher remarked. He’s a firecracker. Therefore, it truly is our responsibility to figure out how to combine those skill sets. We’ll work out the defense’s need to respect all three of those players and their explosiveness, though, given what he brings to the table and the threat he will offer to them. However, he will handle the challenging portion, which is getting away from opponents and catching the ball.

He is a real, dangerous threat that can tear the roof off. But he does more than that. He can finish on the football in tight circumstances, split on sudden breaking routes, and pose a danger over the middle of the field. He is an all-around player. He has engaged in gaming. Here, he will have the chance to accomplish that for us, and as I previously indicated, we’ll mix and match those guys. The best part is that. He’ll play well for us, and we’ll create mismatches.

Burton played two seasons at Georgia before moving to Alabama. Burton amassed 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns on 79 receptions in two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He averaged 20.5 yards per grab in 2023.

Taylor remarked, “The tape jumps out at you.” “We adore the recording. We learned about the individual. We are rather pleased with the selection.

“A well-rounded video recording. quite competitive. plays with a great deal of vigor. This year, I didn’t have any drops on his tape. runs and wrestles with the ball. He displays a wide range of abilities, both indoors and out. plays in the end zone with a finish. I genuinely enjoy his enthusiasm and competitiveness. We are thrilled to have him join us in the receiving room.