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The idea a 2020 NFL mock draft sends Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t surprising.
But what classifies as interesting is what a writeup has to actually say about the pick.
And leave it to ESPN’s Mel Kiper to do right by the Bengals in his latest mock:
Andy Dalton is still on the Bengals’ roster — there aren’t many teams left on the quarterback carousel that make sense as a trade partner — but this is a no-brainer: Take Burrow and build your team around the Heisman-winning quarterback. Cincinnati already has a WR1 in A.J. Green and RB1 in Joe Mixon, and there are a few solid offensive pieces elsewhere, including the impending debut of 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury but can step in immediately and protect Burrow’s blind side.
This is an interesting one because it isn’t often Bengals fans hear about just how good the weapons around Burrow can be.
Kiper hits the proverbial nail on the head too. A.J. Green is a No. 1 wideout when healthy. One could make the case Joe Mixon is in the conversation as a top-five back.
And that’s just the beginning. Tyler Boyd is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons as the No. 1 wideout. John Ross hasn’t fully shaken the bust label, yet he showed strides last season when finally given a chance.
Nothing is guaranteed, of course. But Burrow is quietly coming into one of the better situations for a high-profile rookie passer in recent years.
Granted, it won’t be quiet for long if Kiper keeps pointing it out.
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