The Cincinnati Bengals have an excellent opportunity to change the trajectory of their franchise this April, as they have the No. 1 overall selection and will likely choose LSU quarterback Joe Burrow to be their next franchise star.

In their 53 years of existence, the Bengals have a losing record and haven't made a Super Bowl appearance since 1988. Regardless, there have been plenty of great picks in Cincinnati history. Here are the top five.

5. Lemar Parrish

Playing running back at Lincoln University in Missouri, Parrish wasn't exactly a coveted prospect. For that reason, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound prospect fell to pick No. 163 in the seventh round of the 1970 draft.

Parrish would switch to cornerback in the NFL while also returning kicks and punts and it very quickly became apparent that the Bengals had a star on their hands.

Alongside fellow standout Ken Riley, the Bengals had a fearsome secondary that could scare any quarterback.

In eight seasons with the Bengals, Parrish made six Pro Bowls, intercepted 25 passes and returned five kicks/punts for touchdowns.

4. Chad Johnson

Until recently, Johnson was the best wide receiver in Bengals history. Selected in the second round (36th overall) out of Oregon State, Johnson would break out in his second season recording 69 catches for 1,136 yards and five touchdowns.

After that, Johnson would record 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in six of the next seven seasons and would even lead the NFL in receiving yards in 2006 with 1,369. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound pass-catcher would make six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams throughout his career playing all but one of his seasons in Cincinnati.

3. A.J. Green

The same year that Johnson took his talents to New England to play out his final season, the Bengals drafted UGA superstar A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft.

Green picked up immediately where Johnson left off and was an instant star in Cincinnati. His legacy is still being built in a Bengals uniform today but in eight seasons (nine if you count last year), Green has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving all but once.

He has yet to miss a Pro Bowl in his career (other than 2019) and has surpassed Johnson for the best wideout in franchise history, though Johnson still has him beat in yardage.

2. Ken Anderson

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
GM Duke Tobin in the middle, Rome Odunze, T'Vondre Sweat, Brandon Coleman around him, and Cincinnati Bengals in the background.

Enzo Flojo ·

Bengals, Zack Moss, Geno Smith

Gerard Angelo Samillano ·

The only player on this list to win an NFL MVP award comes in at No. 2. Arguably the best quarterback in franchise history, Anderson played over a decade and a half for the Bengals, was named the league's most valuable player in 1981 and was a Pro Bowler four times.

Anderson played in a more run-heavy era so his stats don't really compare to today's quarterbacks but Anderson was a bonafide star and led the Bengals to the 1982 Super Bowl — not bad for a player that Cincinnati grabbed in the third round (67th overall).

1. Anthony Muñoz

While Anderson has an MVP to his resume, Muñoz is the best player and best draft pick in franchise history. The Bengals expected the 6-foot-6, 278-pound offensive tackle to be good when they drafted him third overall in the 1980 draft but there was little chance they expected him to be as good as he was.

Muñoz played all 13 of his NFL Seasons with the Bengals and made the Pro Bowl every year except his first and his last. The USC product was the best tackle of the 80s and his nine first-team All-Pro team selections is the third most of all time for any position.