Joe Burrow Is 'Willing to Go Through Adversity' in NFL, Says LSU HC Ed Orgeron

The Cincinnati Bengals finished a league-worst 2-14 last season to land the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's 2020 NFL draft.

The team is expected to take Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who is fresh off one of the best collegiate campaigns in history:

However, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron told ESPN's Mike Triplett that Burrow is "willing to go through adversity" at the next level:

"Joe wasn't the Heisman Trophy winner when he got here. He developed, he got better, he kept his mouth shut. Obviously we all heard the stories [of other No. 1 picks] going to this team or that team, they haven't had a good record or whatever. I think that Joe has not had a silver spoon in his mouth all his life. I think Joe has had to fight all his life. And I think if he does have to fight—and it may be Cincinnati—he's willing to fight for that. And he's willing to build a team. And he's willing to go through adversity if he has to.

"Nothing was promised to him here [at LSU]. He came here with faith and built a championship team. And I don't see why he couldn't do it at Cincinnati."

Burrow's collegiate career began as a 4-star recruit out of Athens (Ohio) High School. The 23-year-old committed to Ohio State, where he served as a backup to J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins in 2016-17. He announced his transfer to LSU in May 2018.

In 10 games as a Buckeye, Burrow completed 29-of-39 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns.

Across 28 games at LSU, Burrow excelled for 8,565 yards, 76 touchdowns and 11 picks on 68.5 percent completion. The bulk of those numbers came last season—5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six picks on an eye-popping 76.3 percent completion.

Burrow's vast improvement has been credited at least in part to passing game coordinator Joe Brady, who was hired as the new Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator after LSU won the national championship in January.

As for Orgeron's comments, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning warned Burrow to be patient when the top prospect called him recently:

"I said, 'Joe, when you're the first pick in the NFL Draft, you are going to a team that has really earned the first pick in the NFL Draft,'" Manning disclosed on SportsCenter (h/t Yahoo Sports). "There are going to be some holes there and there's a reason the Colts are picking number one that year, there's a reason the Bengals are picking number one this year."

If the Bengals take Burrow, he will become the first Cincinnati first-round quarterback since Carson Palmer in 2003.

Burrow's fate will be decided on Thursday night, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.