Joe Burrow had one of the most incredible seasons in college football history this past year and it immediately skyrocketed him in draft rankings. The LSU Heisman Trophy winner was being touted as the next first overall pick in the draft and since the Cincinnati Bengals were in need of a quarterback, he appeared to be the obvious choice. Well, the Bengals did what was right tonight as they took Burrow first overall in the inaugural virtual NFL entry draft.
The Bengals had 10 minutes to make the pick and for some odd reason, they took up over nine minutes but we guess it wouldn't be the draft without some sort of drama and intrigue.
Now, Burrow will have a chance to turn this Bengals team into legitimate contenders. Considering how bad management has been over the years, it's not going to be an easy task but he certainly has the skillset to be able to do it. If he plays like he did at LSU, he could very well become a league MVP in short order.
Let us know what you think of the pick and tell us who you're hoping your team takes in tonight's draft.
Peyton Manning Speaks With Joe Burrow About Rookie Year Expectations
Colts Legend Peyton Manning prepares Joe Burrow for life as a rookie in the NFL.
NFL Legend Peyton Manning has been in contact with presumptive first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Joe Burrow. Manning expects hurdles in his rookie year but says that what rookie years are for.
Elsa / Getty Images
“He called me about some of the things that I tried to do as a rookie that maybe he can apply to his NFL career,” Manning told ESPN. “Looks like it’s going to be for the Cincinnati Bengals. What I told him, ‘Look, Joe, if you’re the first pick in the NFL draft, you are going to a team that has earned the first pick in the NFL draft. There are going to be some holes there. There’s a reason the Colts were picking No. 1 that year. There’s a reason the Bengals are picking No. 1 this year.'”
Burrow attended Manning’s training camp last year and the two have been in contact since.
Manning says Burrow will learn from early mistakes and build on them going forward with his career.
“[Then-Colts coach] Jim Mora never took me out,” Manning said. “I learned some things in the fourth quarter of those blowouts about what it took to be an NFL quarterback, and the next year we went from 3-13 to 13-3. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t have hung in there and learned the ropes as a rookie, even though we took some bumps and bruises.
“So that’s what I tried to encourage Joe and all the other rookie quarterbacks, that your rookie year is not going to be the same as your senior year in college. But if you learn how fast the defensive backs are, how soon you have to get rid of the ball, understand defenses, you can become a better player and really get it going the year or two after that.”
Manning threw an NFL record 28 interceptions his first year.
The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23.
[Via]
Report: Despite Rumors, Bengals Have No Plans To Trade 1st Overall Pick
Is Joe Burrow a lock for Cincinnati?
The Cincinnati Bengals will not be trading their 1st overall draft pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
While former LSU assistant Joe Brady will be taking over the offensive coordinator job for Carolina Panthers, Joe Burrow is still seemingly a lock for the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow is routinely rated as the top prospect entering the draft and just won the College Football Playoff National Championship with LSU.
Burrow threw for a record 60 touchdowns this season with only 6 interceptions for 5,671 yards. He also boasted a 76.3% completion rate.
Despite being an obvious trade target for Carolina, Schefter says that sources close to the situation expect the Bengals to hold onto their pick.
"He definitely checks off a lot of boxes early on in the evaluation process," Bengals' quarterbacks' coach said on the teams' in-house website. "He's definitely an intriguing guy.
Burrow's father recently said that his son is, "excited to even be in that conversation." and that "if the Bengals do draft him, he's going to be happy."
"He'll look at it as a challenge," he continued. "But he'll be confident that eventually, they can win a lot of games there in Cincinnati."
Prior to transferring to LSU, Burrow spent three seasons at Ohio State and even went to high school outside of Cinncinati.
The NFL Draft will take place in April.
Joe Burrow Claims OBJ Gave Him Real Money Amid Investigation
There have been conflicting statements.
After defeating the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship game, the LSU Tigers had themselves quite the impressive celebration. Odell Beckham Jr. is an alumnus of the school and got to be a part of the festivities. On the field and in the locker room after the game, OBJ was seen giving stacks of cash to some of the players. The NCAA has strict rules about monetary gifts so the school was quick to claim that the money was fake and that it was all just a joke.
According to Sports Illustrated, an investigation is still ongoing and it could take an unexpected turn now that Joe Burrow has made an interesting admission. While speaking to Barstool Sports, Burrow confirmed that the money was, indeed, real. Burrow said he is no longer a part of the NCAA so he doesn't exactly care about owning up to this kind of thing.
The NCAA is one of the most strict organizations in the world when it comes to this sort of thing so it wouldn't be surprising to see them act swiftly if LSU did, in fact, break any rules. For now, the Tigers will remain under investigation until there is some sort of breakthrough.
Stay tuned for updates as we will be sure to bring them to you.
