Just a few months ago, former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL draft.
Burrow led the Tigers to a national championship victory on an undefeated season, passing for more than 5,000 yards to go with a Heisman Trophy and numerous other awards.
Now that training camp has opened, Burrow has the chance to show his talents can translate to a new offense, while getting to know what his corps of receivers is like.
One of Burrow’s most solid targets will be Georgia Bulldog, A.J. Green, who has put forth an impressive professional career thus far.
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Watching Burrow pass to Green down the sideline for a long touchdown on Sunday afternoons next month will be interesting for Tigers fans.
But, can he succeed with a team that finished 2-14 in 2019? That answer will be found out soon enough as the NFL season begins for the Bengals on Sept. 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Burrow may take a few games to get adjusted to feeling pressure from the bigger players in the league, compared to what he faced in college.
The NFL defenses are no joke, and Burrow will find out quickly just how fast the pocket can collapse on him while facing older, more experienced players.
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Statistically, Burrow could be expected to pass for over 3,000 yards this season with around 25-30 touchdowns. Those would be pretty solid numbers for any rookie, and seem reachable for one that is coming off a record-setting season in college.
Hardly anyone expects the former Tigers star signal-caller to take the league by storm this season and lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl, and rightfully so, given how many issues the team still has to fix across the board.
But Burrow could have what it takes for the team to make a major jump, given the type of life he helped inject into a once-underwhelming LSU offense.
One thing to keep an eye on will be coolness in the pocket — especially since he was so known for his composure in Baton Rouge.
With him being a rookie, Burrow will get rattled by opposing defenses a lot this year. But, make no mistake, he is as prepared or more prepared for this than any other rookie in the league.
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