Chase failed to record a reception on three targets in Friday's preseason game against Washington.

EDGE Analysis

All three targets hit Chase in the hands, and two of his targets should have been converted to catches on a fairly routine basis. While it's not the performance Chase desired, he'll continue to get plenty of opportunities after being selected fifth overall by the Bengals in the 2021 draft. Chase's college production indicates that he has the talent to excel in the pros, though his inconsistency could lead to a slow start to his rookie campaign. This falls in line with earlier reports from training camp, which suggested that Chase had struggled to both create separation and consistently catch the ball in practice.

Chase caught his only target for 16 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Buccaneers.

EDGE Analysis

The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft hauled in a strike from Brandon Allen on the Bengals' first possession before quickly calling it a night. Expectations are high for Chase this season in no small part due to his familiarity with Joe Burrow -- who didn't play Saturday -- from their time together at LSU, but with the second-year QB unlikely to see extensive preseason action, it might not be until Week 1 that the duo gets to really flash their chemistry.

Chase is still "... fighting the rookie learning curve ..." in camp, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Chase drew raves from previous minicamps, but lining up against Chidobe Awuzie has proven to be a struggle in training camp, as Chase has struggled to create separation and has had his share of drops to boot. It's not all negative with Chase, but you might want to temper your early-season expectations.

Chase impressed the Bengals with his ability to gain separation in summer workouts, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Teammate Joe Burrow extolled Chase's abilities, reminding everyone how well they worked together at LSU. "Everybody's been surprised by how smart he was," said Burrow. "I told everyone coming in, 'He's not going to bust, he's going to know exactly what to do, he's going to be a pro.' And that's exactly what's happened." We'll see how quickly that translates against opposing teams, and there's still the concern about how many targets Chase will get with both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd also on the field.

The Bengals selected Chase in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, fifth overall.

EDGE Analysis

The 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner, given to the most outstanding receiver in college football, is reunited with his former quarterback in Cincinnati. Burrow and Chase helped create one of the most electric passing games in college football history with Chase catching 84 of 126 targets for 1,780 yards (14.1 YPT) and 20 touchdowns in 14 games. Chase (6-foot, 201 pounds) opted out of the 2020 season but reminded everyone why he was the best receiver prospect in this class at LSU's Pro Day by running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and posting a 41-inch vertical. He projects to be an instant impact player opposite Tee Higgins in the Cincinnati offense.