2020 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals Draft Joe Burrow First Overall

The Cincinnati Bengals selected former LSU quarterback and reigning Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in Thursday night’s draft.

This has been one of the most obvious number one picks in recent draft history. The Bengals badly need a franchise quarterback and selecting Burrow, who had one of the greatest seasons a college quarterback has ever had, was a no-brainer. Add in the fact that Burrow grew up three hours east of Cincinnati and the Bengals have themselves a homegrown face of the franchise.

Burrow led LSU to an undefeated national championship season, throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and completed 76 percent of his passes. In addition to the Heisman, Burrow won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

The Bengals still have longtime starting quarterback Andy Dalton under contract for the 2020 season but it appears Cincinnati is doing all it can to trade him.

Burrow is the third Tiger to be selected first overall in the draft. Burrow joins Billy Cannon, who was picked first by the Los Angeles Rams in 1960, and Jamarcus Russell, picked first in 2007 by the Oakland Raiders. He joins Cam Newton as the only other quarterback to win the Heisman trophy, go undefeated and win the national championship, and be picked first in the draft all in the same year.