Just like everyone expected, the Cincinnati Bengals took LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Burrow is coming off of what may very well have been the greatest collegiate season ever for a quarterback, throwing for 5,671 yards and a video game-like 60 touchdowns.

Now, he will be joining a laboring Bengals franchise that is in desperate need of a shot in the arm.

Here are three predictions for Burrow in his rookie campaign:

3. He'll throw for 3,500 yards

The thing about Joe Burrow is that he does not have a cannon for an arm, which may sound crazy given the ridiculous numbers he put up during his final year at LSU.

Instead, Burrow is an accurate passer who can extend drives and make throws with unreal touch.

We'll probably see a whole lot of that during Burrow's rookie campaign in Cincinnati, and it will result in him racking up a decent amount of yardage.

Let's remember that Burrow is not walking into a situation bereft of weapons. He will have A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd at his disposal, both of whom combine for one of the top receiving duos in the NFL (when healthy).

That means Zac Taylor can feel comfortable allowing Burrow to throw the ball more than the usual rookie, as Green and Boyd can help erase some of his mistakes.

It wouldn't be shocking to see Joe Burrow approach 4,000 yards, but let's play it conservative for now and say he its 3,500.

2. He'll be very efficient for a rookie

Again, Burrow is more of a guy who will rip off chunks of yardage at a time rather than someone who is going to constantly take chances down the field.

For that reason, he is someone who probably won't throw a whole lot of interceptions and who will probably complete a high percentage of his passes (a la Drew Brees).

We obviously won't see Burrow hit his prime for at least a couple of years, so I'm not saying he will complete 70 percent of his passes in Year 1. But he will likely look ahead of his time early on.

Joe Burrow may very well complete around 63 to 65 percent of his throws in his first season, which would be a heck of a number for a first-year quarterback.

He also won't make as many mistakes as you would expect from a youngster.

1. He'll make the Bengals considerably better

The Bengals went just 2-14 this past year, so it's hard to go anywhere but up.

But I actually believe that Burrow will make Cincinnati a much better football team.

No, the Bengals won't be challenging for a playoff spot or anything, but they also won't be the doormats they were in 2019 when just about everyone in the NFL marked them down as a “W” every Sunday.

Green's return will instantly make Cincy better as it is, but Burrow should inject some life into a franchise that has not won a playoff game in two decades.

No disrespect to Andy Dalton, but he was obviously never that guy for the Bengals. Joe Burrow could be the one, and we'll get to see it right off the bat. Not just from a statistical perspective, but from an emotional standpoint as well.

Much like the Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa, the Bengals now actually have hope.