The collegiate level hadn’t even crowned a national champ and the mock drafters cemented the No. 1 pick in 2020 — Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rest assured the Bengals have thought about it for even longer.
According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Mike Potts, director of college scouting, has been all over Burrow for more than a year:
“He first took serious note of Burrow in last year’s Fiesta Bowl, when he led the Tigers to a win over undefeated Central Florida pitching four touchdowns and nearly 400 yards. Since then he’s charted him taking off in a new system to heights maybe never scaled by another college quarterback.”
Talk about an impression Burrow made over that span, blossoming into a Heisman Trophy winner who completed 77.6 percent of his passes with 5,200-plus yards and a 55-6 touchdowns-interceptions ratio.
As if the Ohio kid coming home storyline wasn’t enough for the Bengals, it’s clear those at the forefront of scouting have had eyes on Burrow’s development.
This could all come to a head in a few weeks when the Bengals coach the Senior Bowl. Potts and Co. could get their first personal time with the potential top overall pick, should Burrow elect to attend.
