NFL Draft 2021 selections, grades: Bengals earn a 'B+' for taking Ja'Marr Chase with No. 5 pick

Here's what you need to know about the LSU receiver after his selection in the NFL Draft

By Kevin Steimle

& Chris Trapasso

Apr 29, 2021 at 9:10 pm ET • 1 min read

Getty's Jamie Schwaberow

The Cincinnati Bengals selected LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday. The CBS Sports NFL Draft team breaks down the pick below, including a grade for the pick, how it affects fantasy leagues and more on Chase, including his strengths and weaknesses, his NFL comp and more.

5. Bengals: B+

Pete Prisco: Love this player. He will be a big-time pass catcher as he joins former college teammate, Joe Burrow. But I would have taken an offensive tackle here.

Fantasy impact

Dave Richard: Obviously the Bengals thought highly of Chase to take him at No. 5 overall, but it had to be so highly that they willingly passed on protecting their investment in Joe Burrow with man-and-a-half tackle Penei Sewell. This is a combination that should last a long while in Cincinnati, and I bet it happens really quickly. Chase will register as a top-30 receiver for me in Fantasy drafts this fall. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd will take a hit, but they're obviously still top-100 players. And this is huge news for Burrow -- look at how quarterbacks with three quality receivers have done in Fantasy and you'll see why he's a good option to wait for on Draft Day. Let's hope the Bengals start lining up big guys to protect him.