Cincinnati Bengals select Joe Burrow in 2020 NFL Draft: Grading the pick

Did the Cincinnati Bengals make the right selection in Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft? Grading the pick.

Like there was ever a question, the Cincinnati Bengals made it officially official on Thursday night as they made LSU quarterback Joe Burrow the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The 2019 Heisman Trophy and signal-caller that led the Tigers to a National Championship will remain near his roots in Ohio by suiting up for Cincinnati.

There has been no question about whether or not Burrow would end up on the Bengals, despite reports about other teams trying to trade up to the first pick. Cincinnati has stood steadfast that the quarterback was the guy they want.

But now that it’s official, it’s worth examining quickly if the Cincinnati Bengals made the right selection with Joe Burrow. Let’s hand out a grade and dive into the pick quickly.

Grading the Cincinnati Bengals pick of Joe Burrow at No. 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft

By taking Joe Burrow, the Bengals are ushering in a new era — but it’s an era that’s been a long-time coming. Under Marvin Lewis, Andy Dalton enjoyed several playoff runs throughout his time with Cincinnati. However, he’s never been an elite player and has seemingly given them a defined ceiling.

With the LSU quarterback now set to return to Ohio and take over the offense, that changes. Burrow submitted one of the most impressive single seasons we’ve ever seen in college football last season, capturing every major award, winning a title and throwing for 60 touchdowns.

Burrow may not be the all-tools prospect that others in the 2020 NFL Draft class are but he has the arm to make every throw. More importantly, he checks every intangible box that you could imagine. His confidence, leadership and poise are contagious and something that his teammates can feed off of.

In truth, if Burrow and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor can coalesce early, there’s every reason to believe that Cincinnati should be able to turn things around quickly. There is enough infrastructure in place for this team to potentially go from 2-14 to at least .500 if not better in the 2020 season.