Irv Smith Jr. has a new home for the 2023 season. After spending his first three years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, he signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. Smith Jr. will now look to team with Joe Burrow to unlock a new dimension of his game.
2023 Fantasy Football: Irv Smith Jr. Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Smith Jr. only appeared in eight games during the 2022 season after missing most of the season with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. He would not return until week 18 against the Chicago Bears, but the team traded for TE T.J Hockenson, which put the writing on the wall for Smith Jr’s exit. In the eight games that he played in, he caught 25 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. This was the worst season of his career, but had he played a full season could have set career highs in numbers.
Updated Bengals outlook
The Bengals are a Super Bowl contender and one of the best teams in not only the AFC but the entire NFL. The offense is set to be explosive again led by Joe Burrow, with Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins on the outside. The AFC North is loaded, so the Bengals will have their hands full trying to repeat, but they should still be able to get a wild card spot.
Best-case scenario
The best case for Smith Jr. is that he explodes and sets all career highs. He will have the opportunity to receive a career-high in targets, so he could go for nearly 400 yards and between three and five touchdowns. When looking at Hayden Hurst’s numbers last year, he caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. If he takes advantage of the targets, Smith Jr. will be a legitimate weapon for Burrow to rely on.
Worst-case scenario
Smith Jr. doesn’t improve, and he has similar numbers to the ones he’s had in Minnesota. He doesn’t improve any, and the Vikings are justified in letting him walk. The Bengals’ offense will be okay without him being explosive, but it would still be disappointing if he can’t take another step. In this scenario, he would be a backup option or maybe a flex for most teams.
Prediction
Smith Jr. will see an uptick in targets, so if he takes advantage of that, he will be able to get some good numbers. If he sees a number of targets similar to what Hurst did last year, he should be able to get about 400-500 yards and five touchdowns. Although he played with Justin Jefferson, playing in the Bengals’ offense will be a career-changing experience.