The Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft, if everything goes right, will be circled as the one that changed the future of the franchise. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was chosen with the first overall pick, and barring a shocking turn of events (like a devastating injury), his projection as a top-shelf starting quarterback is about as safe as any have been in recent years.
The Bengals’ 2020 draft, believe it or not, is about more than just Burrow. They added talent on both sides of the ball that will immediately contribute to the team’s long-term turnaround.
2020 Draft Class
1.01: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2.33: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
3.65: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
4.107: Akeem Davis-Gaither
5.147: Khalid Kareem, Edge, Notre Dame
6.180: Hakeem Adenji, G, Kansas
7.215: Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue
Best Pick: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Not much to discuss here with the Burrow selection. He’s been likened to Andrew Luck, among other elite-level quarterback prospects. He’ll be the Day 1 starter in Cincinnati and will be expected to produce wins early in his career. Granted, it won’t entirely be up to him so secure those victories, but there will be an immense amount of pressure on him to do for the Bengals what he did for the LSU program.
In case you’ve forgotten, Burrow elevated the Tigers to a perfect 15-0, national championship season in 2019 in which he won the Heisman Trophy for his efforts.
Beyond Burrow, the selection of Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins was great value for a player who, but for his membership in such an elite class of wideouts, would’ve been a first-round pick. Higgins will pair with a healthy AJ Green to provide Burrow with an exciting (and big) tandem of wideouts in 2020.