Analyst names Joe Burrow favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, multiple former LSU teammates make the list

Joe Burrow is favored to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, as multiple teammates make the list

CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the odds-on favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

That's no surprise. Not only did Burrow lead the nation in multiple passing categories last season, including yards (5,671), passing touchdowns (60) and completion percentage (76.3), but he also led LSU to a National Championship victory over Clemson and a 15-0 record. 

He was an obvious choice for the Bengals with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Expectations are high for the 23-year-old, even though Cincinnati finished 2-14 last season. 

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein agrees that Burrow is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

"Provided his monstrous senior season at LSU was not just a product of then-passing game coordinator Joe Brady's system, Burrow should be the clear-cut favorite for this award," Zierlein wrote. "A.J. Green didn't play last season, but assuming he returns to the team on the franchise tag (which he has not signed as of the publishing of this post) or a long-term contract (the two sides have until July 15 to work out a multi-year deal), he'll be back as a top target for Burrow. One thing we saw with Burrow last season is that he loves to isolate slot targets and throw with placement to them. Tyler Boyd fits that bill as a strong, capable safety blanket. Top it all off with rookie Tee Higgins, who can stretch the field and win those tight-window jump balls outside the numbers, and Burrow seems set up to be relatively successful right away, despite some concerns about the Cincy offensive line."

A couple of Burrow's former LSU teammates made the list. Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was second and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was seventh in Zierlein's rankings.

Burrow is trying to do exactly what Kyler Murray did in Arizona last season: Win the Heisman Trophy and be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons. 

Wide receivers Eddie Brown (1985) and Carl Pickens (1992) are the only Bengals players that have won the award.