BATON ROUGE – Ja’Marr Chase became the highest drafted wide receiver in school history and in the process was reunited with former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow when he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Draft on Thursday night in Cleveland.

Chase, a native of New Orleans, became the 48th first round NFL Draft pick in LSU history and the 10th for head coach Ed Orgeron. A unanimous All-America and winner of the 2019 Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, Chase is the first LSU wide receiver picked in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. He betters the previous high of 12 held previously by Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014.

In being picked No. 5 overall, Chase becomes the eighth LSU wide receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He’s also the fourth-highest drafted wide receiver in SEC history joining Wes Chandler (No.3 in 1978), A.J. Green (No. 4 in 2011) and Amari Cooper (No. 4 in 2015) as top 5 picks at the position in league history.

Now a Bengal, Chase will join former teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Burrow, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Chase and Burrow helped lead the Tigers to a 15-0 mark and the 2019 national championship. Chase and Burrow connected for 20 TD passes in 2019 as the Tigers had one of the most explosive offenses in NCAA history.

Chase became the first player in school history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark in receiving yards in only two years of action. He finished his career with 98 receptions for 2,093 yards and 23 TDs. At the time, his 20 TDs and 1,780 yards in 2019 were SEC records.

LSU’s NFL Draft Notes

 

• LSU has had 48 players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including a school-record five picked in the 2020 draft.
• Dating back to the 2004, LSU has had at least one player picked in the first round in 14 of the last 18 NFL Drafts.
• Under head coach Ed Orgeron, the Tigers have had 10 players picked in the first round, four of which were Top 10 overall picks.
  • No. 1 Joe Burrow (2019 – Cincinnati)
  • No. 4 Leonard Fournette (2016 – Jacksonville)
  • No. 5 Devin White (2019 – Tampa Bay
  • No. 5 Ja’Marr Chase (2021 – Cincinnati)
  • No. 6 Jamal Adams (2016 – NY Jets)