3 reasons Bengals fans should not forget about Oregon QB Justin Herbert

It wasn’t so long ago that the LSU starting quarterback was thought to be, at best, a third-day pick. One of those players selected in the speed round late on Saturday afternoon of the NFL Draft. Probably a backup somewhere on the roster of some team, maybe a practice player, who knows.

Hey, who knew? Now, Joe Burrow is a household name who just led his Tigers to a monster win over Alabama, and has all but put himself at the top of the list for any team in desperate need of a quarterback.

That’s a nice story. But after an unimpressive junior year in 2018, he’s now the best in college football? That’s a big leap, not unprecedented, but big nonetheless. Currently, he leads the nation with a 78.8 completion percentage, has 30 touchdown passes, and has his team at 8-0.

The question is, is whether Burrow is a nice story one year kind of wonder or a legitimate franchise type of quarterback? It is something to do what he’s done in the SEC, undeniably the best conference in college football, versus some of the lighter leagues, like say, the PAC-12.

Of Tua and Herbert, Burrow may be the biggest long shot in that his field of excellence spans eight games in 2019. Even Tagovailoa has a longer track record of success.

For Burrow, it will boil down to what he does the balance of this season, which likely includes some playoff football and possibly a Heisman Trophy. If he aces all of that, it would be an amazing cap to a magical kind of season.