Joe Burrow’s the one! 2020 NFL Draft Round One Briefs

The Cincinnati Bengals have taken the LSU quarterback with the first selection in the NFL draft. It’s the third straight year in which the reigning Heisman Trophy winner was taken first overall in the draft.

Burrow just led the Tigers to the national championship in a record-setting season. He completed an outstanding 76.3% of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Burrow played his last two seasons at LSU after transferring from Ohio State. He joins a team that went 2-14 in 2019 under first-year head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals scored 279 points last season, third worst in the league.

The Buckeyes produced the No. 2 second as defensive end Chase Young was taken by the Redskins. Young made life miserable for quarterbacks as a junior last season, recording 16 ½ sacks and 21 tackles for loss.

The Lions grabbed the highest-rated cornerback in this year’s draft by taking Ohio State All-American Jeff Okudah with the third selection. He is the highest-drafted cornerback since Shawn Springs was selected from the same school by Seattle in the 1997 draft.

The first offensive tackle in a strong group went off the board fourth overall when the Giants selected Georgia’s Andrew Thomas. He started 41 games for the Bulldogs in three seasons, the last 26 at left tackle.

The Dolphins took Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth choice. Tagovailoa threw 76 touchdown passes in 24 starts the past two seasons, but a dislocated and fractured hip ended his 2019 season in mid-November.

Oregon’s Justin Herbert became the third quarterback selected, going sixth overall to the Chargers.

The Panthers selected Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown with the seventh selection.

Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons was taken by the Cardinals after he surprisingly fell to the No. 8 pick.

The Jaguars went for a cornerback with the ninth choice, taking Florida cornerback CJ Henderson.

The Browns used the 10th pick to take offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, who allowed one sack in 39 games for Alabama.

Not since the draft became a televised event in 1980 has it been stripped to the basics like this one. Scouts and general managers are working from their homes as a safeguard against the coronavirus. Prospects are homebound as well, giving Commissioner Roger Goodell no one to hug after each of the 32 first-round selections are made. Goodell is overseeing the festivities from his basement.

The draft was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas before the pandemic turned it into a virtual selection show. The league announced during the first round that Vegas will host the draft in 2022.