Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was an inevitable heavyweight presence on the annual positional rankings polls based on the opinions of those around the NFL.
The where was always more interesting than if with Burrow.
On this year’s ranking from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Burrow checks in at No. 3 overall behind Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
But two of the quotes provided from anonymous participants hint that Burrow should’ve been No. 1.
“If we’re talking about playing the quarterback position, nobody is playing it better than him,” an AFC scout told Fowler. “Footwork, ball placement, the mental game at the line of scrimmage, feel for the pocket, eye level, finding creases to step up and throw — he’s the best right now. And he’s more mobile than he gets credit for.”
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Another big quote from an AFC executive: “I get the guy has two elite wideouts, but their run game was average and the offensive line was not very good either. On top of all that, their defense was porous and he kept them in every single game for the most part. I thought it may have been his best year, but it didn’t get the same pub because of the other high-profile teams.”
No word on if that scout or executive hailed from the Cincinnati area.
Kidding aside, Burrow is inevitable on these lists. There’s a reason he’s been as high as first overall and his floor has been fifth. He’ll always be in the conversation, if not above the other big names like Mahomes, Allen and Lamar Jackson, to name a few.
Should Burrow get a little more help in 2025 and be an even bigger threat for an MVP award, he’ll have a good chance to take back the No. 1 spot. Regardless, it’s nice to see most around the league are on the same page about where he’s at.
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