As the Cincinnati Bengals get some well-deserved rest before heading back to training camp on July 28, it’s time we looked at some potential breakout players in 2017.

Some players, whether due to injuries or being buried on the depth chart, haven’t yet been able to showcase what they can do. However, things have changed this season, with multiple rookies coming back from injury as well as departures of some key veterans. Because of that, there will be new faces in the starting lineup on both defense and offense.

Today we take a look at second-year wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Although he had a fairly successful rookie campaign, hauling in 54 receptions for 603 yards, he only had one touchdown the entire season. That’s a pretty dismal number. However, wide receivers in general see the biggest jump in development in their second season, so that should give fans a boost of confidence when it comes to Boyd.

Some of the things he did well last season were cradling in tough catches over the middle, running shorter routes on third downs that resulted in first downs, and running solid routes in the short to intermediate passing game (slants, posts, flats, digs, etc.). These are all things that slot receivers are often asked to do, so it was good to see Boyd excel in these areas. He did make a couple of sideline catches downfield, but that was more of the exception rather than the rule.

However, there are some things Boyd needs to work on to make a bigger impact in in 2017.

One being his separation. Although he has a decent release, his inability to separate from top-flight corners was evident throughout last year. This is mainly due to his lack of explosiveness in and out of his breaks. If he can work on his breaks, he’ll be much better in Year 2.

Secondly, his red-zone presence. Unlike Tyler Eifert, Boyd seemed to be allergic to the end zone his rookie season. I mean, one touchdown the entire season says it all. If he can learn to get in and out of his breaks like I mentioned above, his ability to nab touchdowns in the end zone should go up exponentially.

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Because there is proof that wide receivers are much better their second year, I’ll have to give Boyd the benefit of the doubt. He has the physical tools necessary to make those changes and be a more complete player, but it’s up to him at this point.

I did enjoy watching him play in 2016, but there were many areas he could improve on. As long as he works on his weaknesses, he should get close to the 800 yard mark in 2017, which would be worthy of a breakout status in my books.