Can AJ Green Make an Immediate Impact?

With the 4 th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted A.J. Green, an All-American wide receiver out of Georgia. Green is expected to make an immediate impact at the NFL level, even drawing comparisons to Detroit Lion's WR Calvin Johnson. He plays big and athletic, has great hands, and gets separation against even the best college defensive backs(has played against Janoris Jenkins, Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson, Javier Arenas who are all NFL-level cornerbacks). But should fans really expect Green to make an immediate impact at the NFL level, or will he need time to develop and adjust? Lets look back at past wide receivers who went in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft:

2010: *No receiver went in the top 10

2009: *Oakland drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey 7 th overall. In 2 seasons has 35 receptions for 490 yards and 2 TD's.

*San Francisco drafted Michael Crabtree 10 th overall. Last year had 55 receptions for 741 yards and 6 TD's. Held out for most of 1 st season.

2008: *No receiver went in Top 10

2007: *Detroit drafted Calvin Johnson 2 nd overall. In rookie year had 48 receptions for 756 yards and 4 TD's. Last year had 77 receptions for 1,120 and 12 TD's while being selected to Pro Bowl.

*Miami drafted Ted Ginn, Jr. 9 th overall. In 4 seasons has 140 receptions for 1,827 yards and 6 TD's.

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Clearly based on these results, wide receiver success is hard to predict in the first year. Only Calvin Johnson had a strong impact his rookie year. AJ Green also has a lot of adversity ahead of him:

*He'll likely be penciled in as the No. 1 receiver immediately if Chad Ochocinco is cut or traded, which means he'll draw opposing teams best defenders.

*He'll probably have a rookie quarterback throwing to him.

*He'll be part of a new offensive system being implemented in a short time due to the NFL lockout.

*He has no supporting cast to speak of around him.

These are all significant points, as these are usually the issues that top 10 receivers usually face. They are drafted into bad situations where it is hard to show their true abilities their rookie year. To sum it all up, don't expect Green to make an impact his first year. Give him a year or two to build chemistry with Dalton and learn Jay Gruden's offensive scheme before passing judgment on his abilities as an NFL wide receiver. There is a lot of promise in the Bengals' future, and it all starts with AJ Green, but Bengals fans will need to be patient with his development.

By Jason Marcum
ProFootball-fans.com Cincinnati Bengals Correspondent