Just two years after selecting Joe Burrow with the first overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals are set to take part in their first Super Bowl since 1988. According to Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin, himself a three-time Super Bowl winner, the Bengals’ success is all the proof the NFL needs that their system works.
Michael Irvin joins Pro Football Network on Radio Row
“The NFL is sitting over there and they’re saying ‘YES! Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals show the world that our system works!'” Irvin said. “You can get here by drafting players if you draft right! They have to be so happy with that.”
The exuberant Dallas Cowboys star joined Pro Football Network Daily host Cody Roark for an action-packed segment live from Radio Row on Wednesday. While Irvin counteracted his argument with his thoughts on the Los Angeles Rams’ “super team,” the Bengals really are the poster boy for NFL Draft success.
[the_ad_group id=”61554″]
By taking the Bengals to Super Bowl 56, Burrow has essentially repaid the investment that Cincinnati made in him as the first overall pick almost two years ago. Their 2021 first-round pick Ja’Marr Chase, much-maligned when he was selected over Oregon’s Penei Sewell, has rewarded the Bengals’ faithful with a sensational 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Of the team that takes to the field on Sunday, at least seven of those players have been drafted by the Bengals in the last two years. Add in Jessie Bates III, Jonah Williams, Germaine Pratt, and Sam Hubbard, and that’s half the starting lineup that was drafted by the Bengals within the last three years.
Irvin talks wide receivers with Pro Football Network
Known for his exuberance and passion on NFL Network (in addition to his ability on the field for the Cowboys), Irvin hit on a string of subjects in a short period of time. You can catch his full segment on Pro Football Network’s Twitch stream, which also includes appearances from Trey Wingo, Justin Herbert, and former NFL running back Justin Forsett.
During his time with the Cowboys, Irvin tallied 11,904 receiving yards. He also reeled in 65 touchdowns. It’s fair to say that the five-time Pro Bowler knows a thing about wide receiver play. As such, he was the perfect person to comment on a matchup that contains an array of pass-catching prowess from Chase, Cooper Kupp, and Odell Beckham Jr.
“The eye gaze will be on Ja’Marr Chase and Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr.,” Irvin began. “If I’m in the Cincinnati locker room, as a coach, I would be going to Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd and I would say to them, ‘all everybody is talking about is Kupp, Chase, and Beckham…'”
With his trademark intensity, Irvin leans in: “You make sure, at the end of this game, they’re talking about you two. You make your mark right here. You show the world that you belong in that conversation. That’s a hell of an opportunity for those young men.”
