Odell Beckham Jr. Jeremy Hill. Zach Mettenberger. Jarvis Landry. La’el Collins. Alfred Blue.
All were contributors on offense for LSU two years ago, and all have spots in the NFL. Beckham, the Giants’ leading receiver as a rookie, is already a superstar, while Landry hauled in 84 passes for Miami. Hill, meanwhile, emerged as the Bengals’ featured back down the stretch.
However, another member of that 2013 LSU offense is also quietly trying to make a name for himself: second-year Bengals wide receiver James Wright, a seventh-round pick of Cincinnati in 2014 despite not catching a single pass in his final collegiate season.
In a story published Friday, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com noted that Wright’s blocking, special teams play, pro day workout and pre-draft visit were key in Cincinnati’s decision to take a flier on the wideout, who hauled in just 25 passes for 304 yards and no TDs in four seasons in Baton Rouge.
And the move appears to have worked out well.
The 23-year-old Wright played in 11 games for Cincinnati as a rookie, catching five passes before suffering a season-ending knee injury. However, he was back for OTAs this week, and he is seeing time at all of the WR spots, per the club’s website.
“I have a lot of trust in James with his speed, athleticism and toughness,” Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson told Bengals.com. “He knows how to play. He knows what to do. He does it with confidence.”
And he appears to be proof that if you do your job well, no matter where it is on the field, the NFL might just take notice.
The Bengals particularly might be paying attention, given their thorough scouting of an LSU team with so much starpower right at the surface.
