Bengals Take Wide Receiver John Ross in First Round of NFL Draft

Theodore "Ted" Catino is a Cincinnati-based entrepreneur who recently co-founded the job-connecting mobile application GigSmart. Outside of his professional endeavors, Ted Catino is an avid fan of the National Football League's (NFL) Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals filled a major need at the 2017 NFL Draft with the ninth overall selection of wide receiver John Ross. Cincinnati only had three players with over 500 receiving yards last season, while only A.J. Green averaged over 55 yards receiving per game. Ross, meanwhile, recorded the third most touchdowns in the entire NCAA last season and finished second in the Pac-12 conference in receiving yards.

Ross spent four seasons at the University of Washington but missed the entire 2015 campaign due to an ACL injury. However, he returned healthy for his senior season in 2016 and recorded 17 touchdowns on 81 pass receptions. A dual-threat receiver, he also carried the ball eight times for 102 yards and scored four kick-return touchdowns. At the NFL combine, Ross completed the 40-yard dash in a record time of 4.22 seconds.