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2020 NFL Draft: LSU’s Joe Burrow is the surprise breakout QB

By Sayre Bedinger

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers throws a pass under pressure by Malcolm Roach #32 of the Texas Longhorns in the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers throws a pass under pressure by Malcolm Roach #32 of the Texas Longhorns in the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Every year there is some breakout player in college football at the quarterback position. The 2020 NFL Draft has a new dark horse in LSU QB Joe Burrow.

Joe Burrow has gone from potential failed former Ohio State transfer to budding breakout 2020 NFL Draft  prospect at LSU.

Burrow redshirted at Ohio State in 2015. He saw a little action in 2016 and 2017 (39 pass attempts) but decided to transfer to LSU in 2018 when it was obvious he wasn’t going to be starting for the Buckeyes.

Burrow definitely took some lumps in his first season at LSU in 2018.

He completed 57.8 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Burrow was seemingly at his worst the bigger the name of the school LSU played against.

  • vs. Miami: 45.8 percent
  • vs. Auburn: 44.1 percent
  • @ Florida: 55.9 percent
  • vs. Georgia: 50 percent
  • vs. Mississippi State: 57.1 percent
  • vs. Alabama: 51.4 percent

Although Burrow put together a decent overall line for a team that prides itself on defense and running the ball well of 16 touchdowns to five interceptions, the NFL wasn’t really on anyone’s radar with the way he was managing games and basically ‘getting by’ for LSU.

That was, until the final four games of the 2018 season when he absolutely started to tear things up.

He completed 67.6 percent of his passes over the course of LSU’s final four games, including a bowl win over Central Florida in which he threw for a season-high 394 yards and four touchdown passes.

So far in 2019, all Burrow has done is get himself some first-round hype and lead all of college football with nine touchdown passes through two games.

It’s not just that he’s racking up stats, either. Burrow is showing traits of a starting-caliber NFL player.

What he did against Texas was absolutely sensational, working the ball deep downfield, fitting the ball into tight windows, converting important third-down plays including this masterpiece:

Under intense pressure, that 3rd-and-17 play is probably one of the best you will see from any quarterback all season.

Burrow is drawing attention and putting stuff on tape that will get him drafted regardless. What he’s done this season is show he has tools worth developing. At this point, it’s merely a matter of whether he’s going to rise to the occasion in these bigger games unlike last season.

If Burrow and the LSU Tigers are competing for a National Championship this season, you can bet he’ll be in the talk for a first-round draft selection in 2020 as well.

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The 6-foot-4, 216-pound senior is lighting it up and deserves the attention he’s received in the early portion of the college season.

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