Bengals coach: Joe Burrow is as good as advertised
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is all smiles with one of the biggest days in franchise history looming.
Taylor has enjoyed getting to know Joe Burrow, he told ESPN's Get Up on Wednesday morning. The former LSU quarterback is expected to be the Bengals' selection with the first overall pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night.
"We feel very comfortable with him as a prospect," Taylor told ESPN. "We talked to a lot of guys but certainly formed a really good relationship with Joe and been really impressed with everything we've seen from him."
The Bengals haven't told Burrow he will be the top pick, even though everyone, including the QB, can connect the dots. Sources told ESPN's Dianna Russini that the Bengals want to wait until they are on the clock to make it official, giving Burrow that special moment when he gets the call from his new team.
Throughout the week, Taylor has been hesitant to say anything definitive about Burrow, the recent Heisman Trophy winner who led LSU to a national championship during the 2019 season. In an interview with local reporters Tuesday, Taylor declined to comment when asked if Cincinnati was in contract negotiations with Burrow but said there are no issues with the situation.
The Bengals have the first overall pick for the first time since 2003, when they selected USC quarterback Carson Palmer. Cincinnati is coming off a 2-14 season in 2019 and could lean on Burrow to help lead the franchise to its first playoff victory since January 1991.
"He's as advertised," Taylor said Wednesday morning. "All the things we heard about him, we saw from our first meeting with him and as we've gotten to know him over the last couple weeks."
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