(Reuters) – The Cincinnati Bengals selected Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday that was held online in a bid to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The 23-year-old quarterback, who won the Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate football player last December before leading the Tigers to a national championship the next month, was the consensus top choice.
Burrow, who left Ohio State as a graduate transfer after the 2017 season, is fresh off one of the best seasons in college football history as he led the country in passing yards (5,671), total offense (6,039 yards) and completion percentage (76.3), and set an NCAA record with 60 touchdown passes in 15 starts.
The Bengals will look to Burrow to help turn around a franchise that has not made the NFL playoffs since the 2015 season and is coming off a league-worst 2-14 campaign.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ed Osmond)
