Tag: LSU in NFL

LSU in the NFL: Projecting Joe Burrow’s 2020 stats with the Cincinnati Bengals

One of Burrow’s most solid targets will be Georgia Bulldog, A.J. Green, who has put forth an impressive professional career thus far.

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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LSU in the NFL: Projecting D.J. Chark’s 2020 stats with the Jacksonville Jaguars

How could Chark fare as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver?

Ever since the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him in 2018, former LSU wide receiver D.J. Chark has been a spark to the team’s offense at wide receiver.

In 2019,  he caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns on 118 targets while averaging 13.8 yards per catch. His 73 touchdowns ranked 29th in the NFL among all receivers, and his eight touchdowns ranked tied for ninth in the entire league.

He was primarily the No. 2 receiver last year, but that could change in 2020. Former Jaguars wideout Marquis Lee signed with the New England Patriots during the offseason. The move puts Chark in a prime position to become the team’s top receiver.

With that said, how well could the former Tigers star fair as a No. 1 receiver this season in Jacksonville?

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Chark will be catching passes from second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who passed for 3,271 yards last season and started nine straight games for the Jaguars in 2019.

The former LSU wideout could make his claim as the top receiver in the AFC South this season, too.

Basing this projection off of last year’s stats, Chark can easily exceed the 1,000-yard mark again in 2020.

His touchdown numbers should increase as well assuming he becomes the primary target. With a solid quarterback entering his second year, Chark could go anywhere from 1,000-1,300 yards this season and 15-20 receiving touchdowns.

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He is expected to be one of the best players on the entire team this season. Better yet, Chark is one of the rising stars not only at his position in the NFL, but of all positional players in the league.

His numbers increased significantly from 2018 to 2019, and should increase even more this season.

It will be interesting to see how well Chark plays for the Jaguars and whether he can improve from last season as the team’s potential top target in the passing game.

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