We all expect Joe Burrow to be selected with the first overall pick Thursday night.
It's been no secret since the Cincinnati Bengals finished with the league's worst record and Burrow won both the Heisman Trophy and the College Football Playoff National Championship. The pairing is ideal, even amid the many attempts to spice things up by digging into Burrow's desire to be a Bengal. Even though it seems inevitable, the Bengals still did their homework -- and they like what they've seen.
"We feel very comfortable with him as a prospect," Bengals coach Zac Taylor told ESPN on Wednesday. "We talked to a lot of guys, but certainly formed a really good relationship with Joe, and been really impressed with everything we've seen from him."
Sixty touchdowns in a final college season is pretty impressive, and from all accounts, Burrow is a stand-up guy with a bright future. The intrigue is lacking from this selection -- and that is perfectly fine.
"He's as advertised," Taylor said. "All the things we heard about him, we saw from our first meeting with him and as we've gotten to know him over the last couple weeks."
The biggest remaining question for this week in regards to the No. 1 pick: Will the Bengals use all 10 minutes of their time on the clock? We'll revisit Burrow's career a few years from now to decide whether the stress-free choice was the right one.
