Honestly, NFL scouts can be some of the most frustrating people on the planet. They spend years staring at tape, measuring wingspans, and timing 40-yard dashes, yet they still manage to let elite talent slide right through their fingers. Case in point: Chase Brown draft pick history.
When the Cincinnati Bengals snagged him in the 2023 NFL Draft, it wasn't some early-round fanfare. It wasn't a "shams-bomb" or a "woj-bomb" moment that broke the internet. Instead, he sat there. He waited. And waited. Finally, in the fifth round, at No. 163 overall, the Bengals decided they’d seen enough. They called his name.
At the time, it felt like a depth move. A "nice-to-have" guy to fill out the roster. But looking back from 2026, seeing him as a focal point of one of the most explosive offenses in football, that Chase Brown draft pick looks like an absolute heist.
The Reality of Being Pick No. 163
Let's be real—the fifth round is where teams usually look for special teams aces or "projects" with one specific trait. They don't usually expect to find a guy who’s going to put up over 1,400 scrimmage yards just a couple of years later.
So, why did he fall?
🔗 Read more: Andy Reid Net Worth: Why the Big Red Dynasty is Worth More Than You Think
Scouts are obsessed with prototypes. Brown, standing at 5'9 1/2" and weighing around 209 pounds, was labeled as "small." They worried he couldn't handle a heavy workload in the pros. This is hilarious because, at Illinois, the guy was a literal workhorse. He rushed for 1,643 yards in his final season. He had ten games with over 100 yards. The man was the definition of durability, but because he didn't look like a 230-pound bruiser, the league hesitated.
His twin brother, Sydney Brown, actually went higher. Sydney was a third-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles. Imagine that Thanksgiving dinner. Your twin goes in the third, you’re stuck waiting until the fifth. That’s enough to put a chip on anyone’s shoulder.
What the Bengals Saw That Others Didn't
The Bengals didn't just throw a dart at the board. They saw a specific athletic profile that screamed "NFL playmaker."
- Elite Speed: He clocked a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. That’s moving.
- Explosiveness: His vertical jump was 40 inches.
- Power: He put up 25 reps on the bench press.
Basically, he was a ball of muscle and twitchy energy. Cincinnati, who was looking for a change-of-pace back to eventually transition away from the Joe Mixon era, saw a player who could catch the ball out of the backfield and outrun linebackers.
In 2024, everything changed. Zack Moss was the "guy" for a minute, but then he got hurt. Brown stepped in and the offense just... looked different. Faster. More vertical. By the time we hit the 2025 season, the "backup" label was long gone.
Why Chase Brown draft pick Value Matters Now
If you’re a Bengals fan or a fantasy football nut, you’ve seen the growth. He didn't just stay a "fast guy." He became a "receiving guy."
In 2025, he caught 69 passes. That’s not a typo. For a running back, that’s elite. He joined the ranks of Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson in terms of pass-catching volume. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher basically rebuilt the run scheme to fit Brown’s strengths. They stopped trying to make him a traditional "up-the-gut" runner and started using him in space.
It worked.
The Bengals' offense became a nightmare to defend because you couldn't just double-team Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins anymore. If you did, Joe Burrow just dumped it to Brown, who would turn a 3-yard checkdown into a 15-yard gain.
The Misconceptions About the Fifth Round
There’s this weird idea that if you’re a fifth-round pick, you’re lucky to even be on the field. But the Chase Brown draft pick proves that the middle rounds are where championships are actually won.
🔗 Read more: Why the old LA Kings logo is still the coolest thing in hockey
Think about it.
The Bengals got a top-10 production level at a fifth-round price tag. That’s how you afford to pay a quarterback $55 million a year and still keep a decent defense. When you hit on those mid-round picks, the whole math of the salary cap changes.
Brown's story is kinda similar to guys like Aaron Jones or even Kyren Williams. Players who were "too small" or "not fast enough" (though Chase was plenty fast) who just understood how to find the hole and finish runs.
What’s Next for Chase?
The crazy thing is, he’s still getting better.
Going into the 2026 offseason, he’s talking about fine-tuning his YAC (yards after catch) and becoming more consistent in the first half of the season. He’s working with Drew Lieberman in Atlanta, focusing on those small details that separate "good" from "All-Pro."
He’s already established himself as one of the best Canadian players to ever suit up in the NFL, winning the Jon Cornish Trophy in college and continuing that dominance in the pros. But for Brown, it’s clearly not about the awards. It’s about the fact that 31 other teams passed on him four or five times.
That 163rd pick is a badge of honor now.
💡 You might also like: Cómo va el partido de Colombia: La realidad detrás del marcador y lo que nadie te dice del planteamiento de Néstor Lorenzo
Actionable Insights for Following Chase Brown's Career:
- Watch the Snap Counts: In 2024 and 2025, his production skyrocketed once his snap share cleared 70%. If you're tracking him for fantasy or team analysis, this is the key metric.
- Efficiency over Volume: While he had a 1,000-yard rushing season, his real value is his 5.1 yards per carry. Look for the Bengals to continue using "horizontal action" and motion to get him in space rather than high-impact collisions.
- Contract Watch: Because he was a fifth-round pick, he’s one of the best values in the league. As he nears the end of his rookie deal, how the Bengals choose to pay a "hybrid" back will be a major storyline in the 2026-2027 offseasons.
- Film Study: Pay attention to his pass protection. It was his "weakness" coming out of Illinois, but his improvement there is why Burrow trusts him on third downs now.