Joe Burrow is considered by most to be the clear number one pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.  Many point to the obvious reasons, that being his position and gaudy numbers.  During a National Championship winning senior season with the LSU Tigers, Burrow threw for 5,671 yards with 60 TD and 6 INT.  He also ran for 368 yards and added five more touchdowns on the ground.

Toss in Burrow’s overall skill-set, throwing ability and 6’4” frame and teams continue to salivate.  The only critique has been the size of his hands, but that’s a drop in the bucket compared to all the positives.

While these are the obvious reasons that a player lands at the top of draft boards, there is so much more when it comes to Joe Burrow.

It’s Burrow’s ability to lead and be an exceptional teammate.  That is the real reason that Joe Burrow should be considered the consensus top pick.

Joe Burrow – Team First

Over a week ago via his Twitter account, FOX Sports/FS1 reporter Bruce Feldman posted the following from an LSU staffer, who provided a story that brings Joe Burrow’s team first attitude to the forefront.

This Joe Burrow story is something that really stands out.  Also, at the time of the statement, the COVID-19 scare had yet to really get the attention it needed, so I throw the kid a pass for not fully understanding why his pro day was unlikely to occur.  He was likely just speaking passionately for his teammates.

QB Draft Busts Should Make Us Think

Considering how these kids are coached by their agents, I can imagine that the NFL Draft interview process isn’t always loaded with honest answers.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  It’s about reading the room.  It has to come back to the talent evaluators and whether they can bypass the fact that every coach thinks they can morph any personality into NFL stardom.  They just need the God-given talent.

But am I sitting in these war rooms?  No – and don’t chastise me for that.  It is more just the obvious year-after-year situations where a QB is taken early for the wrong reasons.

Top picks need to be the full package.  There’s too much at stake.

We should have learned by now that talent can only take a player so far.  The larger the skeletons in the closet, the more drama that comes along with them.

There are plenty of talented players headed for the NFL this year (and every year).  Just because the stats and ability are there, doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons why a player shouldn’t go number one.

Injury history and a drama-filled past often force names to free-fall down draft boards, but that seems to happen a bit less with quarterbacks, or does it just seem that way because we are obsessed with the quarterback position?

To Name A Few…

The lesson has been learned countless times in drafts over the years.  Look at JaMarcus Russell during the 2007 Draft, for example.  That’s not to single him out, as others like Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith ended up being major QB busts at or near the top of the draft.

There are countless others.  It’s not an exact science, as we all know.

The Baker Mayfield Comparison-Non-Comparison

It’s not fair to compare Joe Burrow to Baker Mayfield.  After all, they are each two completely different players.  Still, where do we feel Baker compares to other former top picks?

The jury is still out on this one.

The outspoken Mayfield has had moments where his leadership or decision-making could be questioned.  He has called out teammates to the media (and not behind closed doors – although he may have done that, too).  The stats at the NFL level certainly aren’t there yet, even after the Browns added more talent to the roster.  Perhaps Baker Mayfield will turn the corner in the upcoming season, but for now, a few more seasons of mediocrity and we could see a shift towards bust status.

The point on Baker is that we saw some of those signs when he was in college.  He clearly impressed the Browns at some point during the process.

Back to Burrow

Getting back to Joe Burrow, there is no question that the Cincinnati Bengals should (and will) take him with the first overall pick.  He’s an Ohio kid that proved himself with the LSU Tigers last year.  In addition to the gaudy numbers, Burrow has also proven to be a great leader and an even better teammate.

There is plenty of top-notch talent available, from Burrow, to Tua Tagovailoa, Chase Young and more.

The only way Burrow doesn’t wear orange and black is if Cincinnati is overwhelmed by an over-the-top trade proposal from another QB-hungry team.

Stranger things have happened.  This is the inexact science of the draft.

 

Feel free to weigh in on Joe Burrow, QB busts or the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. 

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