It should come as no surprise in any mock draft over the next few months that LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is the first overall pick. Arguably the most impressive quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, Burrow had quite a journey in his college career — from afterthought at Ohio State to the most dominant player in the 2019 season. Burrow threw 60 touchdown passes to just six interceptions and averaged 10.8 yards per attempt against some very tough SEC defenses, and he saved his best performances for the biggest stages — against Alabama, Georgis, Oklahoma, and finally against Clemson in the BCS Championship, Burrow totaled 19 touchdowns and no interceptions.
In USA Today’s most recent mock draft, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz makes the case that Burrow should go first overall to the Benagls.
“A 15-0 record, Heisman Trophy, national title and record 60 passing touchdowns made for quite the single-season output,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “At the NFL level, though, Burrow’s senior campaign will go down as what launched him from afterthought to clear front-runner for the No. 1 pick. Though Cincinnati’s coaches won’t get an up-close look at him as they work the Senior Bowl next week, there shouldn’t be much mystery left about this selection.”
There really shouldn’t. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and Burrow has already shown that he has what it takes to work in an NFL-style offense at the highest level. Unless some other team offers Cincinnati an insane trade of draft capital and/or established talent, Burrow to the Bengals should be a lead-pipe lock.
