The Bengals were always taking Joe Burrow. That's been the case since Andy Dalton knelt with 15 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter of the Bengals' 33-23 victory over the Browns Dec. 29, 2019, at Paul Brown Stadium.
That moved the Bengals to 2-14, capping a historically bad season with a Whimper, capital W for their triumph. Their prize?
Yeah, Burrow. This guy:
With the 1st pick of #NFLDraft2020 , the Cincinnati Bengals select... Joe Burrow: Quarterback, LSU pic.twitter.com/8yMnrgRQ4o
— Sports Biz Group (@sportsbizgroup) April 24, 2020
National Champion at LSU. Heisman Trophy winner. Six-foot-four, 216-pound Joseph Lee Burrow was the Bengals' pick in December, and he was the Bengals' pick April 23 as the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft commenced.
It was an obvious — and correct — call.
What happened, next, however, baffled.
Next up, in order:
2. Chase Young (DE, Redskins)
3. Jeffrey Okudah (CB, Lions)
4. Andrew Thomas (OT, Giants)
5. Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Dolphins)
6. Justin Herbert (QB, Chargers)
7. Derrick Brown (DT, Panthers)
8. Isaiah Simmons (LB, Cardinals)
9. C.J. Henderson (CB, Jaguars)
On the clock at No. 10: The Cleveland Browns.
At this point, Thomas to the Giants surprised many. This left Alabama's Jedrick Wills, Louisville's Mekhi Becton or Iowa's Tristan Wirfs for the taking. That'd be the smart pick.
But these are the Browns, right? And electric talents such as Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and CeeDee Lamb are still out there. It'd have been a total Browns move to take the shiny, fun route.
The pick came in:
“With the 10th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft the Cleveland Browns select … Jedrick Wills, Tackle, Alabama.”
?: #NFLDraft on ABC, ESPN + NFLN pic.twitter.com/89YIVKvpGb
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 24, 2020
Uhh ... wow. The Browns did it. They took the smart, reasonable pick in Wills after he slid into their laps. No getting cute. No overthinking. Just mashing that button and sending the pick in via the power of the Internet. Not a bad start for new general manager Andrew Berry.
That left the Ravens, perched back at No. 28 after an NFL-best 14-2 season that resulted in a one-and-done postseason performance thanks to Mike Vrabel's Titans. More picks filtered in, and those sparkling receivers — Jeudy, Ruggs, Lamb, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk — flew off the board. The Ravens, though, with a run-heavy, NFL-best offense in 2019, needed help elsewhere anyway. Namely, they needed an inside linebacker as they attempted to rebuild the center of their defense from the loss of CJ Mosley last offseason.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks, picking one spot before the Ravens at No. 27, primarily needed a pass rusher. They selected ... Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech, an inside linebacker — but not even the top inside linebacker on most boards.
You could practically hear the clicking of Ravens GM Eric DeCosta's keyboard as he hammered home the team's pick, inside linebacker Patrick Queen out of LSU. Just roll the tape on this guy:
Rangy. Dynamic. Speedy.
Queen not only fills a need for the Ravens, but he perfectly fits the mold of a modern-day NFL middle linebacker, providing support at various levels in a variety of ways. The Seahawks left the Ravens a gift, and they unwrapped it with glee.
HUNTER'S VIEW
With the Steelers watching from the sidelines, all three AFC North opponents made smart, calculated picks. Not only that, but the Browns and the Ravens both showed the ability to stick to their team needs, to avoid the allure of a flashy, splashy pick and to maintain a smart, measured approach. That, for the Browns in particular, represents a deviation from the norm.
Their norm hasn't been good if you needed a refresher.
So while the Steelers probably feel good about what's left for them at No. 49, there's no doubt about this: The Bengals, the Browns and the Ravens just got better, too.
Game on in 2020.