The wait is nearly over, NFL fans.
In just mere hours, the 2020 NFL Draft will finally kick off, and the strangest predraft process in recent memory will crescendo in (hopefully) a glitch-free virtual experience.
Before the real action gets rolling, here’s my final attempt at projecting how the top 32 picks will shake out, including a handful of trades. This is how I think the first round might unfold, rather than the picks I would make if I had the chance.
Happy draft day, y’all. We made it.
*denotes projected trade
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow | QB | LSU
This has been set in stone for quite some time. No, Burrow never had any problems with the idea of playing for the Bengals, despite whatever rumors may have circulated throughout the draft process.
I also don’t buy the narrative that he can’t be successful in Cincinnati, or that the Bengals have a poor track record with drafting quarterbacks. Carson Palmer was one of the league’s best throughout his tenure in Cincy, and Andy Dalton was effective enough to be worthy of his second-round draft slot. They won the division twice with Palmer at the helm, and made five straight trips to the playoffs with Dalton.
The Bengals have been uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency this year, hoping to build a winner around their eventual franchise quarterback. Burrow is their man, and he’s got all the tools to return this team to playoff contention.