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Collin Andrew/Associated Press
The Cincinnati Bengals have been widely expected to select LSU’s Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft for months, but rumblings continue to grow about the team being potentially willing to talk trade.
Peter King of NBC Sports reported there are some “true believers” in Oregon’s Justin Herbert within the Bengals organization, making a trade a possibility.
Cincinnati would likely have to be overwhelmed by any offer to move off the No. 1 pick. King posited an offer of four first-round picks from the Miami Dolphins as a possibility, though that was speculative and not based on any talks between the two teams. The Dolphins have the No. 5 pick in Round 1, a spot where Herbert should still be available.
Herbert may be the most physically gifted passer in this class. Listed at 6’6″ and 236 pounds with elite arm strength, Herbert also impressed at the combine by flashing some of the best speed and agility among quarterbacks in this class. On paper, he has nearly every tool evaluators are looking for in a modern quarterback.
There have been concerns about Herbert’s leadership qualities because of his more introverted personality, and Oregon didn’t reach 10 wins with him under center until his senior season.
“That’s always a question that comes up,” Herbert told reporters at his pro day. “I don’t know if it’s very accurate. I think, you ask a lot of the guys around here, around the facility, they’ll tell you otherwise. I feel comfortable saying that I’m not as introverted as everyone thinks I am. I love to talk. Unfortunately, I talk a little too much sometimes.”
Burrow, by contrast, is coming off perhaps the single greatest season in college football history. The LSU product won the Heisman Trophy, throwing for 5,671 yards and an NCAA-record 60 touchdowns while leading the Tigers to a national championship. The Bengals would also represent a homecoming for Burrow—born in Athens, Ohio—though there had been speculation (since squashed) about his desire to play in Cincinnati.
If a team is willing to back up a draft pick haul of four firsts for Burrow, it’s worth listening to for the Bengals. Burrow, for all of his collegiate brilliance, is not considered a can’t-miss generational superstar a la Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck. The separation between his ceiling and Herbert’s isn’t enough to make the Bengals shut down any discussions before hearing an offer out.
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