Ja'Marr Chase Bust Watch on High Alert After a Four-Drop, One-Catch Preseason

Ja'Marr Chase has had a very bad preseason. After the Cincinnati Bengals picked him with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase has had not looked good. The rookie has dropped four of five balls thrown his way during the preseason, including this bubble screen.

Not a promising start for Chase, who was picked because he had such great success with Joe Burrow at LSU back in 2019. Chase had 83 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns and then sat out college football's [first] COVID season, which is fine and probably even smart considering the step backward the Tigers took last year with multiple quarterbacks trying to fill Burrow's shoes.

For the Bengals to pick a receiver instead of a lineman to protect Burrow was always a questionable move, but if Chase isn't great, this decision could set the Bengals back quite a bit.

The Lions took Penei Sewell two picks later and he hasn't exactly excelled for Dan Campbell, but it sounds like the Chargers got a good lineman to help protect Justin Herbert at No. 13 in Rashawn Slater. The Jets seem happy with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker after getting him at No. 14. Alex Leatherwood (No. 17) has been good for Las Vegas.

So it looks like there were some first-round lineman available that will make the Chase pick look awful if he doesn't pan out. No pressure. Just like the preseason.