3 AFC North rookies Cleveland Browns should worry about
By Randy Gurzi
Round 2. QB. Pick Analysis. LSU. JoeBurrow. player. 56. Scouting Report
This season, the Cincinnati Bengals owned the first overall pick and they used that to go in a completely different direction under center. They selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, and then ended up releasing Andy Dalton.
Burrow is an Ohio guy who went to Ohio State originally but then transferred to LSU where he wound up breaking out in 2020 and having the best collegiate season of all-time. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy, the NCAA Championship, and then went first overall.
His “rags-to-riches” story captivated all but he’s more than just that according to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein who raves about his confidence and leadership.
"“People’s champ with rags-to-riches story arc culminating in one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in sports history. He’s self-assured and plays with competitive toughness that teammates will gravitate toward instantly. He’s a rhythm passer who benefited from tempo and scheme, but his vision, touch and read recognition made the offense special. He buys time for himself inside the pocket, but creates explosive, off-schedule plays outside of it with his arm or legs. He throws with staggering precision and timing, but he recognizes his own arm-strength constraints and is forced to shrink the field accordingly.” — Zierlein, NFL.com"
There will be bumps along the way, as is the case with any young quarterback but it’s hard to envision Burrow not finding success in the NFL. Even as a rookie, he’s someone that could give the Browns problems, meaning they need to do all they can to keep him from hurting them.
Next. Grading the 2017 Browns Draft Class. dark
Even with all the talent that was added in the AFC North, none is more worrisome than Burrow.