Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images
The beginning of a special era of Bengals football.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals have selected LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow.
This pick was effectively made Week 16 of last season when the Bengals fell to the Dolphins in overtime, clinching the top pick for Cincinnati in a draft where No. 1 was the only pick to have if you need a franchise quarterback.
While there are other promising QB prospects this year, none of them bring what Burrow brings to the table. In one of the most dominant seasons a college football player has ever had, the 6-3, 221-pound Burrow completed 402/527 passes (76.2%) for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He added 368 yards and five more scores on the ground.
In the process, the Athens, Ohio native led LSU to a 15-0 record and College Football Playoff National Championship. He set NCAA single-season records for TD passes (60) and total touchdowns (65). His 76.3 completion percentage ranks No. 2 in NCAA history for a season.
Burrow saved his best for last, as he racked up a College Football Playoff record eight touchdowns (7 passing, 1 rushing) vs. Oklahoma in the semifinal round, then chipped in a championship game record six scores (5 passing, 1 rushing) vs. Clemson in the title game.
All of this came after Burrow began his career at nearby Ohio State before grad-transfering to LSU in 2018, and the rest is history.
In terms of advanced analytics, Burrow’s 94.9 Pro Football focus grade in 2019 was the highest-graded season PFF has ever seen at quarterback since 2014.
Burrow was the Michael Jordan of college football in 2019, and now he’s a Cincinnati Bengal. This is the beginning of what hopes to be a very special period in the history of Bengals football.
Most of the pre-draft rankings had Burrow ranked No. 1 or 2 overall in the draft, so this was a uncommon instance where taking a quarterback No. 1 perfectly aligned with said prospect’s value.
We will have plenty more on the Bengals selecting Burrow, so stay locked into Cincy Jungle for the latest news and analysis on the selection.
The Bengals’ remaining top draft needs are:
LB, OT, OG, WR, DE, CB
Bengals Draft Picks 2020
- Round 1 (1)
- Round 2 (33)
- Round 3 (65)
- Round 4 (107)
- Round 5 (147)
- Round 6 (180)
- Round 7 (215)
Day 1 NFL Draft schedule: 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, April 23
Here’s a link to the full Round 1 NFL Draft order and live draft tracker!
Now, let’s celebrate the official start of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati!
Who Dey!
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