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Joe Burrow is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
- The Cincinnati Bengals are widely expected to take former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
- The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and 2020 College Football Playoff national championship MVP has been coy about his eagerness to join the Ohio-based franchise despite being an Ohio native himself.
- Steve Bartkowski - the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft and longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterback - advised Burrow to do what he could to avoid joining a "bottom-feeder team" like the Bengals, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Drew Davison.
- Bartkowski suggested Burrow follow in the footsteps of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who announced prior to the 2004 NFL draft that he would refuse to play for the Chargers if they selected him with the No. 1 pick.
- Burrow has said he has "leverage" in where he winds up and that things are subject to change between now and draft day.
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The Cincinnati Bengals are widely expected to select former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, but at least one person has suggested the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner may be better off with a different franchise.
And that person just happens to be a former No. 1 NFL draft pick himself.
Steve Bartkowski - who went to the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft - said he would advise Burrow to avoid going to a "bottom-feeder team" like the Bengals, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Drew Davison.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Burrow enjoyed a sensational final season with the LSU Tigers.
"If it's the Bengals, I think I'd pull an Eli Manning on that one," Bartkowski said. "You've got a chance to do that. That's happened. [John] Elway kind of set the tone, then the Mannings delved into it after Eli was picked by San Diego."
Manning - who was, like Burrow, was presumed to be the first pick after an impressive college career at Ole Miss - famously announced prior to the 2004 NFL draft that he would refuse to play for the San Diego Chargers if they selected him with the No. 1 pick.
At a Davey O'Brien Award event Sunday, Bartkowski told the 2020 College Football Playoff national championship MVP and his family that they should consider taking a page out of Manning's book, even if going to Cincinnati would bring the Ohio native close to home.
"They're Ohio guys," Bartkowski said of the Burrow family. "I might've offended them by telling them that."
AP Photo
The Atlanta Falcons selected Steve Bartkowski with the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft.
Bartkowski's advice stems from his own personal experience. He described Atlanta as "not the best organization" at the time he was drafted and said he knows "what it's like to go to a bottom-feeder team."
"I'd hate to see that happen to him to be honest," Bartkowski said. "They beat me up. I spent more time at the hospital recuperating from injuries my first three years than I did throwing touchdowns. It was tough."
Burrow told Davison that he believes he has "leverage" in the draft process.
"[The Bengals] have their process and I have my process," Burrow said. "We haven't even gotten to the [NFL] combine yet. There's a lot of things that happen leading up to the draft and a lot of information gathered."
"Right now, I'm focused on being the best football player I can be," Burrow added. "I'm in this unique spot. You can go watch my film. I don't have to prove myself at pro day and at the combine, so I'm in a unique spot where I can focus on getting ready for the year."
Burrow has plenty of time before he learns of his fate. The first day of the NFL draft is scheduled for April 23 in Las Vegas.
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