Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft Wednesday night.
Burrow, who won the 2019 Heisman Trophy and led LSU to a national title over Clemson University in January, was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals. The redshirt senior was expected to be the first pick as questions continue to swirl around the future of longtime Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.
"Enough talk. Time to get to work," Burrow tweeted after the announcement.
The NFL draft, typically a star-studded event featuring young promising players, was held virtually this year because of social distancing restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
After Burrow, Washington selected Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be tasked with leading the rebuilding Miami Dolphins after they took him with the 5th overall pick despite injury concerns.
And the Green Bay Packers made perhaps the night's biggest splash, trading up at the end of the first round to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love despite the presence of star Aaron Rodgers.
It was 23-year-old Burrow, though, who was the consensus top pick.
The Ohio native threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns in the championship game that brought LSU its fourth title. He began his collegiate career in 2015 at Ohio State University, where he played in only 10 games, and transferred to LSU in 2018.
The Bengals are in desperate need of new blood after an abysmal season last year. Dalton, who was drafted in 2011, dragged during the 2019 season before being benched. He was replaced by rookie Ryan Finley after an 0-8 start to the season, only to return once the Bengals lost three more games.
Whether Dalton is traded or released before the start of the new season remains unknown.
