Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we throw it deep to wide receiver Jermaine Burton. As the Bengals' receiving corps adjusts to life without Tyler Boyd and a potential last dance with Tee Higgins, Burton became one of the most important young players in Cincinnati the minute he was drafted in April.
Jermaine Burton
- Age: 23
- Year: 1st
- Position: Wide receiver
- College: Alabama
- Previous Teams: None
- Jersey Number: 81
Burton was drafted by the Bengals with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent the last two years at Alabama after transferring and playing his first two season at his original school, Georgia.
A four-star recruit who ended up at several different high schools, Burton became a starter as a true freshman for Georgia. He posted 27 receptions for 404 yards and three touchdowns out the gate, and followed that up with 26 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns the following season in helping the Bulldogs win a national title.
Burton made the move from Athens to Tuscaloosa in 2022 and played immediately for another SEC powerhouse. He hauled in 40 receptions for a team-high 677 yards and seven touchdowns, but one moment on the field has followed him since that season, and it wasn't even an actual play. Burton swung at female fan following Bama's last second loss to Tennessee. He wasn't suspended for the incident, but it became one of the bullet points supporting rumors of his immaturity. The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote in his scouting report that Burton had "up-and-down moments" with both Georgia and Alabama's coaching staffs.
Those questions with Burton weren't as loud during his senior season in 2023 when he led the SEC with 20.5 yards per reception. His 798 receiving yards and eight touchdowns led Alabama, and his 39 receptions were the second-most on the team as well. He entered the draft with many analysts unsure when he'd go off the board, but the Bengals called his name before the end of Day 2. Former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who's been training Burton since 2020 , was the one who announced the pick at the draft.
Contract details
Burton signed a four-year, $5,820,896 deal earlier this offseason that will pay him the minimum rookie salary of $795,000 for the 2024 season.
When adding on the $1,053,380 signing bonus that will be prorated throughout the entirety of his deal, Burton's cap hit for the season will be $1,058,345.
Roster chances
Burton became a roster lock when the Bengals drafted him as early as they did. He'll be immediately competing for reps along with Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, and Charlie Jones.
OTAs appeared to go great for Burton as he started working with quarterback Joe Burrow . He's on track to being involved early and often in the offense because of his ability to win on vertical routes, and reliable hands. Cincinnati's offense has been bottled up for the past two seasons due to a lack of supplemental deep threats to pair with Ja'Marr Chase. Burton can solve that problem immediately.
How large Burton's role ends up being by the end of the season, and how he adjusts to life in the pros, are the only real questions here.
Chances of making the roster: 100%
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals are putting their culture to the test by drafting Jermaine Burton and all that comes with him
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