2020 NFL mock draft: Two teams trade up for franchise quarterbacks

You can pretty much put this pick in sharpie as Joe Burrow. I don’t think there’s any chance they select anybody but Burrow. Unless somebody offers up something crazy, they won’t trade the pick either.

Burrow who was considered a later round pick coming into last season had one of the best seasons in college football history and cemented himself as the number one overall pick. His 5,671 passing yards tied for the third most ever and he set an FBS record with 60 passing touchdowns.

Burrow checks basically every box of what you want to see in a quarterback before coming to the NFL. He has shown impeccable accuracy to all levels of the field, which is the most important trait for quarterbacks. He has good arm strength and great touch on his deep ball. He is athletic, handles pressure very well, and can make some ridiculous down the field throws when under duress.

He is also very good on the mental aspect of the game. He goes through his reads, finds the open man, and makes minimal mistakes. In his first year starting at LSU he only threw five interceptions and last year he only threw six, so decision making is a big plus to his game.

If there is any knock for Burrow it’s that he only had one good year in his college career and it came when he was a fifth-year senior and therefore much older than some of the other quarterback prospects.

Barring some crazy trade offer, Burrow will be a Bengal. For a fan base that hasn’t seen their team win a playoff game in over 29 years, Burrow coming to town is exciting and we’ll see if he has what it takes to turn around one of the worst franchises in all of pro sports.