LSU 2020 Rookie Class Proving to be Historic One Quarter Into NFL Season

College football fans who tuned in last season know exactly how special the LSU Tigers were in 2019. With an historic, program-record 14 draft picks in April's NFL Draft including 10 selections in the first three rounds alone, it was only a matter of time before each pick would make an impact on their NFL teams.

It turns out quick meant four games as some of the Tigers top players are already turning heads four weeks into the NFL schedule.

Quarterback Joe Burrow has possibly been better than advertised as his 1,121 passing yards lead all rookie quarterbacks. He's thrown for 300+ yards in three consecutive games, an NFL record, as well as 116 completions, which is second in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Burrow's 65% completion percentage is third among quarterbacks who have attempted 150 passes, behind only Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott. All of this is in spite of playing behind without a doubt one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

For the first time all year, Burrow was given requisite protection and the Cincinnati offense was able to get the run game going. The Bengals put up nearly 500 yards of offense as a result and Burrow earned his first NFL win.

"We got the win, that's all I care about," Burrow said. "It feels good to win, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win football games. I'll throw it zero or 100 times, I'll throw for seven or 500 it doesn't matter to me."

When ESPN released its rookie rankings four games into the season, Burrow was ranked No. 1 and was joined by a few of his former teammates as well. After a sluggish start to the season, Justin Jefferson has arguably been one of the best receivers in the entire league over the last two weeks, coming in at No. 2 on the rookie rankings.

"He has consistently shown in the early going he can beat man coverage even when opposing defensive backs try to get physical with him," writer Jeff Legwold wrote about Jefferson.

Jefferson ranked No. 1 in the NFL for the second straight week when facing single coverage on the outside, according to PFF and leads all rookies in receiving yards.

"I'm outside running deeper routes, running double moves," Jefferson said on Wednesday. "I'm a reliable threat. A tall, lengthy receiver and I can design different routes to make them look the same. I'm just getting open and catching the balls that are coming to me."

Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was ranked No. 9 in the rankings as he's been consistent in churning out yards but hasn't reached the endzone since week one of the season. It's only a matter of time before he's fully immersed in the Kansas City offense and starts scoring at a rapid rate.

"He's averaging just over 5 yards per touch and should continue to flourish in an offense that forces defenses to divide their attention on each and every snap," Legwold wrote.

Linebacker Patrick Queen has also impressed in his early days with the Baltimore Ravens, leading all rookies in tackles with 33, including four tackles for a loss. Offensive linemen Lloyd Cushenberry and Damien Lewis have also been consistent starters for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, with the Seahawks also carrying one of the top offenses in the NFL heading into the second quarter of the season.