The Cincinnati Bengals have the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and have no intention to trade the pick, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Cincinnati finished with the worst record in the NFL, which put them in position to draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who is the consensus top player this year. Doesn't hurt that the Bengals need a quarterback who can lead the way in rebuilding their franchise.
Burrow completed 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions in leading LSU to a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship. He became the first quarterback in SEC history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season while setting SEC single-season records for total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and touchdowns he was responsible for. In addition to winning the Heisman (which he won by the largest margin in the award's history), Burrow won the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards in 2019.
It's no surprise the Bengals are interested in Burrow, and are liking what they see.
"He definitely checks off a lot of boxes early on in the evaluation process," Bengals quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said, according to the Bengals' official website. "He obviously looks like a very intriguing guy."
The Carolina Panthers could have been intrigued to make a run at Burrow, already hiring LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady as their offensive coordinator. In one year under Brady, LSU averaged 48.4 points per game and 568.5 yards per game, both of which led the nation. Carolina has the No. 7 overall pick in the draft.
The Miami Dolphins arguably have the most draft capital to entice the Bengals. Miami has the No. 5, No. 18 and No. 26 overall picks in the draft, along with two second-round picks and a third-round pick.
The Dolphins could convince the Bengals to change their minds, but Cincinnati wants to keep that coveted top spot. Burrow isn't expected to go anywhere other than No. 1.
