The 2020 NFL Draft opened in the most predictable way: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was selected by the Bengals with the first overall pick. Even casual fans of the draft have known this was going to happen since January and now it's official.
One day before he was officially picked by Cincinnati, Bengals owner Mike Brown welcomed Burrow to the team with a letter on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter also said that Burrow and his parents received jerseys from Brown, which showed he'll resume wearing #9 in the NFL.
Burrow will be replacing longtime Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton as the team's quarterback of the future. Cincinnati had a disastrous 2019 season, finishing 2-14 and their worst record since 2002. The last time the Bengals had the first pick in the draft was in 2003 when they selected Carson Palmer, who played seven years with the team.
The Bengals didn't plan to be this bad last season, but it may end up paying off in the long run. Burrow is a superb quarterback prospect who threw a whopping 60 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman trophy. If health permits, Burrow will have a talented trio of receivers in A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross. Joe Mixon is one of the better running backs in the league and Jonah Williams, the No. 11 pick in last year's draft, should be a big boost to the offensive line after missing his rookie year with a labrum injury.
On paper, Burrow looks like the perfect quarterback to execute the scheme that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor runs. According to Pro Football Reference, Cincinnati threw the 14th most passes (36) on Run-Pass-Option plays, which Burrow mastered during his final year at LSU.
Now, Burrow will get a chance to prove if he was a one-year wonder or not. Burrow went from playing an above average quarterback in 2018 to one of the best ever in 2019. His NFL fate likely lies somewhere in between those labels, which is more than good enough to make him the first overall pick.
