Joe Burrow Draws 'Concerns' for Anonymous NFL GM; 'Alex Smith-Like'

At least one anonymous NFL general manager isn't convinced that new Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will be a pro superstar.

According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, the GM compared Burrow to Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, who was selected first overall in the 2005 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers: "I have concerns. He does not have a lot of power or strength in his arm at all. He is a one-year producer. Love the brain, like the short accuracy. He is Alex Smith-like, and Alex was the No. 1 pick in the draft, nothing wrong with that."

After a dominant 2019 that culminated in a Heisman Trophy, undefeated season and national championship for LSU, Burrow went No. 1 overall in last week's draft.

Last season, Burrow put up passing numbers never seen from a Power Five quarterback. He completed a ridiculous 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions, and even rushed for 368 yards and five touchdowns.

Smith put up great numbers as well in college, but they didn't come close to touching what Burrow did, and they came against a lower level of competition since Smith played at Utah. Much of Burrow's production came against SEC teams and other national powers like Oklahoma and Clemson.

One obvious similarity between Burrow and Smith is their size, as Burrow is 6'4" and 221 pounds, while Smith is 6'4" and 213 pounds. They also both have sneaky athleticism that allows them to make plays with their legs on a fairly regular basis.

Although Smith has had a solid NFL career with three Pro Bowl nods, it is fair to say the Bengals will be somewhat disappointed if that turns out to be Burrow's ceiling.

Smith's career regular-season record of 94-66-1 with the Niners, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins is impressive, but he has only two career playoff wins as a starter.

He also has just 193 career regular-season touchdown passes over 166 appearances. He is largely viewed as a high-end game manager, which isn't typically what a team looks for with the No. 1 overall pick.

If Burrow has a career similar to Smith's, it will also be a one similar to that of Andy Dalton, who the Bengals released after selecting Burrow.

Dalton never won a playoff game, but he took the Bengals to the playoffs five times and is a three-time Pro Bowler with good-but-not-great numbers.

The Bengals are clearly hopeful Burrow will develop into an elite quarterback, which is something they have never really had in franchise history. While Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason and Dalton were all very good players at certain points, they were never in that upper echelon.

That is likely a big reason the Bengals have never won a Super Bowl, but there is hope in Cincinnati that Burrow can be the guy to lead them to the promised land.