3 players who could sneak into being the Cincinnati Bengals first pick

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals might seem like a match made in NFL Draft heaven, but the NFL Combine has a way of bringing other names to the top of the draft board. Here are three fans should keep an eye on.

It seems a foregone conclusion that the Cincinnati Bengals will draft Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It is an absolute certainty, right? I mean, why even watch opening night of the draft?

One big reason “Bungle for Burrow” might yield zero results is the NFL Combine. The Combine begins on February 24, and is an opportunity for a lot of players not always in the national spotlight to grab the attention of GM’s as well as the NFL media. More simply put, what you think now at the beginning of January might now be how you feel when the Combine wraps up on February 2nd.

For would-be NFL rookies, even those at the top of the draft class, it is the first impression, and in some cases, a lasting one. It’s a chance to open eyes and change minds. If your team was all but sold on one name, don’t be shocked if another enters the picture.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals might seem the logical destination for LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. He’s a former Ohio State product, is from the area, but also has everything to lose with a bad performance in the National Championship Game as well as the Combine. It’s the one event where someone like Justin Herbert, Chase Young, and even Tua Tagovailoa could rise on the Bengals draft board with their respective workouts, and in Tua’s case, an interview.

Bottom line, don’t count any of the top prospects out. It might be Burrow today, Young tomorrow, and Tua or Herbert on opening night of the 2020 NFL Draft.