Bengals Select Joe Burrow With No. 1 Overall Pick

The wait is officially over. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Bengals have selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

Burrow, who joins Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield as consecutive Heisman winners to be drafted first overall, has long been the favorite to go to Cincinnati at the top of the draft. The Bengals, who earned the No. 1 pick after finishing 2-14 during the 2019 campaign, will now install what they hope is a franchise quarterback in Burrow.

An Ohio native, Burrow posted arguably the greatest quarterback season in the history of college football in 2019, completing 76.3% of his passes for 60 touchdowns (an NCAA record) against only six interceptions. Burrow, who transferred from Ohio State prior to the 2018 season, put up middling results during his first season as LSU’s starter before winning the National Championship in 2019.

While the Bengals had long maintained that they weren’t interested in moving off the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins certainly attempted to make things interesting. Miami pushed Cincinnati, and was still trying to move up earlier today despite the Bengals previously rejecting offers.

Now, Burrow joins a Cincinnati offense that boasts potential despite the club’s lackluster performance in 2019. Burrow will dropped into a unit that includes running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross. Second-year head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin could attempt to find even more offensive talent — perhaps at wideout or along the offensive line — on Day 2 or 3 of the draft.

Despite that firepower, the Bengals are still in the midst of a rebuild even after adding Burrow. Cincinnati did step outside its comfort zone in free agency earlier this year, however, spending ample money to add defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, safety Vonn Bell, and linebacker Josh Bynes.

Andy Dalton, the Bengals’ starting quarterback since 2011, remains on the roster. He’s still a candidate to be traded or released, but the veteran recently said there is a “scenario” where he sticks around as Burrow’s backup. Dalton has a $17MM cap figure, however, meaning he’d likely need to accept a pay cut in order for that to be feasible.