Was Joe Burrow a number one draft pick? Exploring the Cincinnati Bengals QB's origin story

Yes, Cincinnati Bengals leader and quarterback Joe Burrow was a No. 1 Draft pick in 2020. Burrow was selected out of LSU, where he led the Tigers to an unbeaten 2020 college football season that culminated in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship. He also won the Heisman Trophy for his efforts, becoming the hottest college football prospect in the U.S.

The Cincinnati Bengals were fresh off a disastrous 2019 NFL season, which saw them losing games steadily and ending up with the first overall pick. Once it was confirmed, the whole league knew who they were going to pick. They picked Joe Burrow, and three years later, it's crystal clear that they made the right decision.

Joe Burrow's NFL Timeline, Laurels, and Achievements

As a third-year quarterback, Joe Burrow has achieved quite a lot in his NFL career thus far. He first won the 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, an award given to a player with the best bounce-back season among his peers. He won the award by putting up a stat line of 4,611 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, easily surpassing his tally from the previous season.

He was also the league's completion percentage leader for 2021, beating Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. He also led the Cincinnati Bengals to the 2021 Super Bowl, where they lost narrowly to the Los Angeles Rams.

If you think Joe Burrow's 2021 was special, just look at his 2022 spell of dominance. First off, Burrow earned a Pro Bowl selection for the first time in his young career, doing so in a stacked AFC Conference. He also led the Bengals to yet another deep playoff run before they were stopped by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Aside from the achievements mentioned above, Burrow holds the following NFL records: Highest career completion percentage at 68.2%, the highest playoff career completion percentage at 68.1%, and the most completions by a rookie in an NFL regular-season game with 37.

He is also the sole holder of the following Cincinnati Bengals records: most passing yards in a game with 525, most passing yards in a season with 4,611 (2021), most touchdowns in a season with 35 (2021), and so much more.

Joe Burrow has changed the face of the Cincinnati Bengals, and the exciting thing is that he's just getting warmed up.