Jim Owczarski

jowczarski@enquirer.com

Late in the evening on April 29, the second night of the NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, offensive coordinator Ken Zampese and wide receivers coach James Urban sat behind a podium at Paul Brown Stadium and spoke for about 10 minutes on their newest draft pick, University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

In those 10 minutes, the coaches sketched an outline of where they saw the rookie fitting in on a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.

Lewis said Boyd will get chance to earn immediate playing time and, as far as where those snaps could come from, Zampese added Boyd “struck me as a guy that can play slot early, and learn the outside spot and be productive out there as we go. He’s played a lot of slot. He’s very familiar with where the bodies are coming from down in there. And he’s got good vision, football IQ and instincts to avoid and get up field.”

The Bengals’ three-day rookie mini-camp the first weekend of May was the first opportunity the coaches got to see Boyd run routes in the slot up close.

Despite some pretty severe restrictions on that viewing (no pads, no NFL linebackers and safeties to navigate, no quarterback who will take part in organized training activities) Urban came away encouraged by the rookie pass catcher.

“It jumps out on film, his football instincts, his feel for the game – you could see some of it out there,” Urban said.

5 takeaways from Bengals' draft

“The guys who play well inside have to have great feel for the game: too many bodies in there, too much stuff, too many big fellas, too many tight releases, tight throws. But if you have good feel in there you can be productive. I’m encouraged in as much as having high expectations for his football intelligence, I didn’t see anything to make me believe otherwise.”

Consider it the first step in a long process for Boyd, whose draft status and prolific collegiate production at Pitt (254 receptions for 3,361 yards and 21 touchdowns) indicate the team is expecting him to be an outlet for Andy Dalton in what was one of the league’s top offenses before the quarterback’s thumb injury in Week 13.

And those steps can only cover so much ground, at least in the spring.

“For him it just comes down to the trust,” Dalton said. “You’re doing different stuff than an outside receiver. It might be some different option routes, some different things. For him, as long as he’s got a good feel for what we’re doing, a feel for when to make certain breaks and do different things, I think we’ll be fine in that regard. He’s just got to come in try to pick up things as quick as possible.”

That line of thought is the first thing the quarterback and rookie receiver are on the same page with. Boyd has said he’s gotten into the playbook, but to play in the slot – and play it well – requires more than just study.

“It’s a chemistry thing,” Boyd said. “I know we’ve got to be on the same point, we’ve got to be on the same level. I just think what will allow me to help him is just knowing the defense that they’re in and just knowing if they’re inside I’ll break in, if they’re outside I’ll break in, if they’re split out I’ll just sit. It’s just all about that chemistry thing. And once we get it, then we’ll be … it’s hard to talk about it. You just gotta build it with each other.”

But Urban and Boyd believe Dalton will help pull the rookie down the path a bit more quickly.

“That happens all the time with us,” Urban said. “There’s many times when we go – and now with A.J. (Green) and Andy, I don’t even say it – but early on it’s ‘go talk to him. Go talk to him.’ And then I just stand back and listen to what Andy’s telling him. It’s got to come from him. He’s the one standing with all them bodies coming at him. (Boyd) wants to listen to what he says on ‘hey, that guy played you like that, do this.’ That’s where it comes from Andy, a lot. And that’s what all the great quarterbacks do.”

Boyd can’t wait to have some guidance on those additional steps after having four different quarterbacks throw to him at Pitt.

“I think, finally, having a great quarterback will make it a lot easier for me to take my talents to a whole other level than I thought it would be,” he said. “At Pitt, the guys were good, but they weren’t Pro Bowl guys or MVP-type of caliber guys. With him throwing me to open space, making me catch it away from defenders, making it a lot easier for me I feel like it’ll just take my game to a whole other level than what I think it’s already at. It’ll completely change me.”

Analysis: Bengals 2nd-round pick Boyd