Auden Tate

Tate always seems to be a training camp hero, but then disappoints in the regular season. 2020 was especially disappointing for him, as he only caught 14 passes for 150 yards and no touchdowns, with his season ending early with a torn labrum. While the Bengals drafted Ja'Marr Chase in the first round, they also let A.J. Green, John Ross and Alex Erickson walk, allowing him the first chance to be the fourth wide receiver for the team. He'll compete with the likes of Mike Thomas, Stanley Morgan and Trent Taylor for that role.

Tate got an extended opportunity last year when A.J. Green went down, and he performed passably under the circumstances — 14.4 YPC, 7.2 YPT on 80 looks. At 6-5, 228, Tate is massive, though slow (4.68 40 speed), profiling almost like a tight end more than a receiver. But he made acrobatic plays in the intermediate areas of the field and drew seven pass interference penalties in 12 games. With Green back in the fold, top possession man Tyler Boyd around and John Ross serving as the deep threat, Tate is fourth on the team’s depth chart for now. But neither Ross nor Green have been able to stay healthy for very long, so Tate could get another shot. Incidentally, Tate himself missed the season’s final three games with a torn MCL, but should be healthy for the start of training camp.