2017 NFL Draft: Draft Grades for Each First-Round Selection

John Ross and his ridiculous 4.22 speed end up with the Cincinnati Bengals with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Ross is a quick and explosive athlete who can absolute dominate in the deep passing game. He is obviously a threat to make plays after the catch, but Ross can undoubtedly stretch the field as well.

Think Brandin Cooks here. Ross is an absolute game breaker who immediately makes the Bengals offense much more explosive. Adding Ross to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Tyler Boyd gives Andy Dalton a ton of exciting weapons in the passing game.

The only real issue I have here is Dalton. Ross is a legitimate downfield threat but Dalton is not a strong-armed quarterback. He is much more comfortable in the short to intermediate range and does not make many strong throws downfield. I could easily be wrong, but won’t Dalton just waste Ross’ best asset?

I like the player a lot. Some may consider this pick a reach because of Ross’ lack of size. Personally, I think he is worth the investment, I just struggle to see the fit. He is a talented player who fills a position of need so it is hard to grade the selection too hard.