No Average Joe: The Case for Joe Burrow as the NFL’s Top Draft Pick
From under the radar to the top of the college quarterback mountain, Joe Burrow is legitimate. And come April 2020, NFL teams will be unable to resist his gigantic ‘19 season.
Tua this, Tua that — it was all about Tua Tagovailoa going into the 2019 season. It was all about the #TankForTua movement. The generational talent out of Alabama was said to be the prize for whatever team was fortunate enough to get the No. 1 overall pick.
Then, everything changed.
Tagovalioa got hurt, the hype died down and Joe Burrow had an unreal season. It was unprecedented — nobody saw this coming. The redshirt senior quarterback out of LSU proved all the doubters wrong, he showed out this season as not only one of the best players in the country but also a premier draft prospect.
But the question remains, is he worth a first overall selection?
The Unlikely Superstar
Unexpected, unpredicted, unforeseen — take every “un-” word you can think of and that’ll probably describe Burrow’s season.
Burrow’s been ballin’ all season. He’s now the favorite to win the Heisman — but the pathway wasn’t always so clear cut.
Before college, Burrow dominated during his tenure at Athens High School in The Plains, Ohio. But still, he was only rated as a 4-star recruit. After leading his school to seven straight playoff appearances, he decided to keep it local and commit to Ohio State University in 2015.
With the immense talent the Buckeyes had at quarterback, Burrow decided to redshirt his freshman year. But even after that, Burrow was forced to sit on the bench and backup star quarterback J.T. Barrett for another two years. Then Barrett finally graduated, and it was Burrow’s time to shine.
Or so he thought.
Dwayne Haskins got the starting nod, and Burrow figured it was time for a change. He transferred to Louisiana Tech University in May 2018. Burrow immediately started and had a solid first year, but it was in 2019 where things really took off. Burrow took a gigantic leap that no one saw coming.
In 13 games this season, the redshirt senior has thrown for a whopping 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns to only six interceptions on an equally impressive 10.7 yards per attempt.
And so, the legend was born.
What Makes Him Special?
Fifty-one. The guy has 51 total touchdowns. That in itself is sure to catch anyone’s eye, but there’s more to it.
Burrow isn’t some a one-read quarterback who’s constantly throwing screen passes and puts up numbers because of the system he’s in — Burrow is a true game-breaker. That being said, it would be a mistake not to acknowledge the fantastic coaching staff and dangerous weapons that surround Burrow, but the guy is a tremendous talent by himself.
It starts with the size. Burrow stands tall at 6-foot-4, 216 pounds. He has the prototypical size for the QB position. While his 216-pound frame isn’t desirable for most NFL teams, Burrow is far from undersized. Watch the guy play and you’ll forget what he’s listed at.
Burrow has the perfect skill set for today’s NFL. He can pick apart a defense from the pocket. He stays poised and patient in the pocket, he never panics. And when the pocket does break down, Burrow’s great at feeling the pressure, escaping from the pocket, extending the play and throwing strikes on the run.
While Burrow doesn’t have the arm strength of someone like Justin Herbert, he still has a solid arm. Burrow’s accuracy and ball placement are what set him apart. He possesses pinpoint accuracy. He hits his receivers in stride — on time and on target.
It’s not just on the crossing routes, Burrow has excellent touch on his deep balls. His ball placement is almost pitch-perfect. He throws the ball where only his receiver can catch it — the mark of an elite NFL quarterback.
Burrow can make those A1 throws from the pocket, but he’s equally adept at doing it on the run. Even when Burrow escapes from the pocket, his eyes are always looking downfield. When Burrow finds an open receiver, he makes tough, off-balance throws with ease. The throws have almost the same accuracy whether Burrow is in the pocket or on the run. Honestly, it’s remarkable.
The arm, the accuracy, the ability to extend the play, it’s all commendable, but Burrow has even more. He has the makeup of a smart NFL QB who can diagnosis defenses. His IQ and decision making are off the charts. He can read a defense and know exactly where the ball needs to go. And unlike most college quarterbacks, Burrow is capable of going through his progression and finding the open man.
Burrow may not be the most athletic QB out there, but he’s a savvy runner. When the defense can be exposed, Burrow is smart enough to understand when he should scramble and break off chunk runs. He’s a sneaky athlete.
And that’s the theme with Burrow — whatever weakness or hole you find in his game, he finds a way to make up for it. Burrow’s ability to remain unfazed and make such great decisions in the pocket drive him to be this prodigious talent. It’s so rare to find these qualities in a college quarterback. The mechanics, the IQ, the accuracy, it just jumps off the page.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Video Breakdown
Like we talked about before, Burrow has a scary group of weapons. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall make up one of the best wide receiver groups in the nation. But even so, they still need a quarterback to throw the ball.
A beautiful throw. First off, Alabama is playing a single-high safety look. That safety wants to stick to the left side of the field where both Marshall and Jefferson are lined up. Burrow sees this and he knows if he can keep the safety on that side, he has Chase lined up one-on-one — a huge mistake.
As soon as the ball is snapped, Burrow looks off to the left, keeping the safety on that side of the field. He then immediately flips his eyes to the right and throws a perfectly placed back-shoulder to Chase. Most QBs would try to throw it over the top in this situation, but Burrow places the ball up high, away from the defender, where only his receiver can catch it. It’s a high IQ play where Burrow displays his gaudy ball placement.
On a crucial third-and-17 where Texas desperately needs a stop to win the game, it decides to bring a six-man blitz with an additional defensive back operating as the QB spy, which leaves the other four defensive backs playing prevent defense. Burrow recognizes this and knows he needs to get the ball out quickly.
But instead of panicking and checking the ball down — which would have resulted in LSU punting the ball — Burrow makes an extremely intelligent play. The ball is snapped and Burrow almost immediately feels the pressure, but he finds a sliver of light to step up in a crumbling pocket, which gives him just enough time to let his receiver get open. Burrow steps up and makes a spectacular one-legged throw.
The degree of difficulty on the throw cannot be overstated. Despite being off-balance, with chaos all around, Burrow stands and throws a perfectly placed ball to Jefferson. That accuracy shouldn’t be possible on a volatile throw like that. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
Burrow’s ability to extend plays is just on another level. Georgia disguises this blitz perfectly. The Bulldogs send Mark Webb on a corner blitz, while linebacker Azeez Ojulari fakes the pass rush before picking up LSU running back Clyde-Edwards Helaire out of the backfield. This leaves LSU’s right tackle blocking no one, and Travon Walker has free reign to get to Burrow.
This should be an easy sack with Walker operating as a free rusher, but Burrow doesn’t panic. He steps out and uses his elusiveness to shake multiple Georgia defenders before sprinting out to the right side of the field, all while keeping his eyes down the field. Burrow makes another jaw-dropping play, placing the ball exactly where it needs to be. Jefferson doesn’t need to adjust his body, he doesn’t need to slow down, it’s just a perfect throw. And oh boy, look at that spiral.
Final Thoughts
Burrow isn’t just putting up hefty numbers, he’s doing it against daunting SEC defenses. He just makes them look silly. Burrow has all the tools to succeed: the physical traits, the IQ, the mechanics, everything. Whatever small holes people nitpick at, Burrow will make moot. His skill set is a perfect fit for today’s NFL. He’s dominated college football, and he’s going to dominate the big leagues.
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All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
