Joe Burrow: What is his role with Bengals in 2020 and beyond?

What does he bring after 2020?

Joe Burrow is one of the safest prospects coming out of college in recent memory. He is so mentally ready to play in the NFL that he is virtually bust proof. His floor as a player is a good enough starter to be considered worthy of a number one overall pick.

The Draft Network’s Joe Marino has no problem seeing Joe Burrow as the future of the Bengals not only in 2020, but beyond into the future as well:

"“Coming off the greatest season in SEC quarterback history, Joe Burrow features a high-level skill set with the makeup of being a dynamic franchise quarterback. His blend of accuracy, ability to handle pressure, mechanics and mental processing skills are all bluechip traits that make him NFL ready in Year One. Burrow may lack elite throwing power, but it’s a minor knock in an overall impressive package” (Marino via TDN)."

Will we look back on this draft in the future and say that Joe Burrow wasn’t “QB1”? There certainly is a possibility. Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert both have more arm talent and athleticism, and as a result, have a higher ceiling. However, that doesn’t mean Burrow won’t be a good quarterback.

It all comes down to expectations. If the media and fans are expecting him to be Andrew Luck or John Elway, they may end up disappointed. Burrow is not able to just take a bunch of replacement level players and win the NFC North. Just like any other young quarterback, he needs talent around him. If the Bengals can surround Burrow with players, he will undoubtedly succeed.

Over the last two decades, the Bengals never truly bottomed out at quarterback. They went from a very good Carson Palmer to a good enough Andy Dalton. Is Burrow closer to Palmer or Dalton? The answer is obviously Palmer and the Benagls would be very happy if his career is similar to the last quarterback they picked first overall.