Joe Burrow Rumors: Bengals Drafting QB No. 1 Overall a 'Slam Dunk' in 2020 Draft

The worst-kept secret of the 2020 NFL draft is that the Cincinnati Bengals are going to draft Joe Burrow.

On Wednesday, the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said the Bengals "have not come out and said they are taking him, but...this looks like the biggest slam dunk we've seen in a very long time."

In that same report, Rapoport also noted that the Bengals have used all of their allotted time to meet with prospects talking to Burrow.

Albert Breer of The MMQB reported the same, noting the Bengals have "maxed out their time with Burrow over the last few weeks, as they work to build a relationship with him."

Peter King of NBC Sports wrote that "there's little chance the Bengals will trade out of this pick. LSU's Burrow makes too much sense for the long-term best interests of the franchise."

And while B/R's Matt Miller projected Burrow to the Bengals at No. 1 overall in his latest mock draft, he also noted in a recent scouting notebook that "there is a lot of buzz in scouting circles that the Bengals will at least listen to calls for this pick."

You will be hard-pressed to find a mock that doesn't have Burrow going No. 1 overall. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media had him off the board with the top pick, writing: "I'm sure there will be several teams interested in trading up for Burrow, but I can't see the Bengals passing up the opportunity to land their top QB."

We're at the point that if the Bengals didn't draft Burrow and either traded the pick or took a player like Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young, it would be one of the most shocking moments in the history of the draft.

And really, the Bengals shouldn't overthink this one. Burrow has roots in Ohio, just had one of the best seasons in college football history and fills the team's most glaring need. Sure, there are concerns about his arm strength, but his accuracy, poise, leadership and intellect more than made up for it at LSU.

Not many players can say they had a season with numbers like the 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and just six interceptions Burrow compiled last season, all while completing 76.3 percent of their passes. Even fewer can say they won a national championship and swept the postseason awards, which included winning the Heisman Trophy.

Any way you slice it, Burrow is a solid choice for the Bengals. And barring a shocking development, it's the pick they will be making.