Joe Burrow sits alone at the top of CBS Sports writer Mike Renner’s ranking of every first-round pick since 2020, a reminder that the Bengals’ best draft move of the decade was also their most obvious home run.
Renner’s list put Burrow at No. 1 overall for the 2020s, with Ja’Marr Chase landing at No. 12.
That Chase ranking jumps off the page, especially when you stack it against other receivers on the list. Ceedee Lamb checked in at No. 10, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba was slotted fourth after posting his first season with 1,400 yards and eight or more touchdowns.
Chase, by comparison, has already hit that mark three times.
Even with the Bengals’ uneven draft record since then, Renner made clear that Burrow and Chase changed the direction of the franchise.
"While the Bengals' draft track record has rightfully drawn criticism of late, they started the decade with two franchise-changing picks in back-to-back drafts," Renner said of the Bengals recent draft history.
"The duo of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase has dragged one of the most underachieving franchises in sports to the forefront of the national conversation more often than not over the past half-decade."
Beyond the two stars, the rest of Cincinnati’s first-round haul has been a mixed bag. Amarius Mims came in at 53rd overall, ahead of names like Darnell Wright and Armand Membou. That placement fits the trajectory he showed last season, when he established himself as a rising force at right tackle and set himself up for what should be a Pro Bowl-level jump in 2026.
The other recent Bengals first-rounders landed much lower. Dax Hill was ranked 104th, Myles Murphy 116th, and Shemar Stewart 167th after what Renner viewed as an underwhelming rookie year. Hill and Murphy both enter 2026 with contract-extension pressure hanging over them, while Stewart is trying to prove his first season was a blip and turn elite athleticism into production.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Ex-Teammate Just Escalated A Messy LSU Feud
Ryan Clarks exit from ESPN has already turned into more than a network layoff story, and the backlash has now spilled into the LSU orbit familiar to Bengals fans. Clark spoke emotionally about the termination on The Pivot podcast, pushing back on the idea that it was a routine cut and saying he had tried to adjust to meet expectations before being let go. The comments drew immediate criticism from several voices, including LeSean McCoy, Bobby Burack and Breiden Fehoko, a former teammate from Joe Burrows LSU title era.
Fehokos response added a sharper layer to the dispute because it tied Clarks public feud back to the same LSU program that produced Burrow and so many of Cincinnatis current touchpoints. The criticism centered on Clarks behavior and the way he framed the firing, with Fehoko suggesting this was part of a pattern people around LSU had seen before. For a Bengals audience, it is another reminder that the Burrow era at LSU still casts a long shadow, even when the argument is happening far from Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Raised The Stakes For Bengals Fans In 2026
Joe Burrow spent the offseason sounding unusually bullish about where the Bengals are headed, and for a fan base that has spent plenty of time parsing every hint from its franchise quarterback, the message landed with real weight. Burrow said this is the most talented roster he has had since joining Cincinnati, a notable bar to set for a team that has already been measured against championship expectations during his tenure.
He also pointed to the kind of experienced additions that can change the tone in a locker room, saying the Bengals brought in players who have been there and done that to help raise the standard of play. Between that confidence and the reaction it sparked from fans, the bigger question now is whether all of that offseason optimism turns into something more tangible once 2026 arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Camp Opens With Familiar Veterans Suddenly Fighting For Their Jobs
Training camp opens with an unusual kind of stability for Cincinnati, at least on offense, where all 11 starters are back from last season. For a franchise that has not often been able to say that, it gives the Bengals a familiar foundation as camp gets underway and lets the focus shift to the places where the depth chart still feels very much alive.
The most interesting fights are on the defensive side and in a couple of supporting roles, starting with Dax Hill at nickel corner, where the incumbent is suddenly under real pressure. There is also a familiar camp tension around the edge and in the secondary, plus a competition for the third receiver spot and the primary return job, which means several veterans are spending August trying to hold off younger challengers instead of simply settling into their roles. [Read more 🡒]