Joe Burrows (LSU QB) is the NEW Trendy #1 Pick, But Will He Live Up To The Hype?
The consensus of 2020 NFL Mock Drafts for the #1 overall pick currently sit at about 50% Tua and 50% Burrows.
At the beginning of the season, no one but Joe Burrows would have mocked him no. 1 overall. Until his spectacular performance against the elite Alabama D, most experts still thought Tua was the consensus 1st QB taken (with a couple Justin Herbert truthers sprinkled in). Even in September, after only a couple games, the NFL really started to take note. Scouts still thought Burrows was at best a high 2nd round pick (see “Multiple Teams See Day 2 Ceiling on Burrow”).
I am not 100% convinced either way as of yet, but I am leaning towards wanting him if I have the first overall pick. His competitive nature & resiliency will take him very far.
After leaving Ohio State, where in high school he won Mr. Ohio in 2015, he took the SEC by storm. Joe won the QB battle at LSU his first year, giving the ultra-talented Tigers their first elite talent since Jamarcus Russell (and as long as he doesn’t tell his coaches he watched film on the blank tapes they gave him, his career will last longer than that former LSU QB taken with the #1 pick). He continued to shine throughout the 2018 season, but was not considered more than a flyer in the draft.
Then boom, in the very talented SEC conference he has been tearing up defenses, not making mistakes, & proving to have nerves of steel when needing to make big plays. The Tigers currently sit at number one in the CFB playoff rankings & Burrows is clearly their leader on the field & in the locker room. Not only is he a Heisman favorite, but he is now a favorite to be the #1 pick in the 2020 draft.
Even PFF, who did not have him rated in their top 10 QB prospects prior to the season, has him as their #1 prospect, grading out at a 92. Just comparing his stats from his Junior year to now there are some eye popping improvements, that really speaks to his progression.
His 2018 stat line was 2894 yds; 16 tds 5 ints; 57.8% completion percentage; racking up 400 yds rushing and 7 tds on the ground vs 2019 with at least 3 more games to go 3687 yds; 38 tds 6 ints; 78.6% completion percentage; racking up 215 yds and 3 tds on the ground.
The thing that helps me have more faith in Burrows jumping up draft boards so quickly is his completion percentage & ability to play mistake-free football. Those were both massive question marks coming into the season & he has completely wiped those concerns from my mind. Cincinnati knows what to do here, draft the home state talent that just might win the Heisman this year.