The Top 25 Bengals for 2023: How important is tight end Irv Smith Jr? Strictly Stripes Podcast

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is going to be a critical piece of the Bengals' offense next season. Smith has some big shoes to fill in place of Hayden Hurst who left the team in free agency back in March. He'll be more than just the fourth option for Bengals quarterback in 2023 though. Hurst's impact on the offense was felt as a receiving threat and Smith will need to replicate that same energy. Smith will have a chance at redemption after being mostly injury-ridden in each of his last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. What does a successful season look like for Smith? Will it have to look more like what Hurst put together last season or more akin to former Bengal C.J. Uzomah instead? The Strictly Stripes crew looks at Smith's No. 22 ranking on the Top 25 Bengals for 2023 list and determines what Smith needs to do in his first season as a Bengal. Louisville wide receivers coach Garrick McGee joins the podcast to talk about coaching Charlie Jones at Purdue last season in an exclusive phone interview. This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek. Music: Starfields by Hallman Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices