Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the front-runner to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020.

As of earlier this week, Burrow has the best odds to win the award at +250:

So why is Burrow so clearly the prohibitive favorite?

First off, while rookie quarterbacks can be hit or miss, the position has accounted for eight Rookie of the Year winners since 2000. Only running back (nine) has more winners in that span. Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) was the only receiver to win the award last decade, so players like Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, among others, are risky bets.  

And this past decade, three of the seven quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall were named Rookie of the Year:

• 2019: Kyler Murray (won)
• 2018: Baker Mayfield (did not win)
• 2016: Jared Goff (did not win)
• 2015: Jameis Winston (did not win)
• 2012: Andrew Luck (did not win)
• 2011: Cam Newton (won)
• 2010: Sam Bradford (won)

The other quarterbacks to win the award in the past decade were Robert Griffin III and Dak Prescott. 

OK, so that's the historical conversation out of the way. But what about some of the present factors?

For starters, Burrow will almost assuredly be the team's Day 1 starter. The same can't necessarily be said about Miami's Tua Tagovailoa or Los Angeles' Justin Herbert, who could spend a good chunk of the season (or all of it) sitting behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyrod Taylor, respectively.

History does suggest they'll all eventually play, however: 

And even if a player like Tagovailoa does start immediately, his best weapons are Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, DeVante Parker and Allen Hurns, which perhaps isn't the offense of your dreams.

Burrow, meanwhile, has seven-time Pro Bowler A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd (consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons), rookie second-round pick Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard. That's a nice collection of talent for the rookie quarterback.

So we have an immediate starter with legit playmakers around him who just had one of the greatest seasons in college football history, throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions while competing 76.3 percent of his passes in LSU's spread offense. 

And how many rookies are in a better situation than Burrow?

Maybe his former teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who should be a perfect fit in Kansas City's offense. But Damien Williams is also going to get touches.

Ruggs should be a solid option for Derek Carr immediately, though he's never caught 50 passes in a season or hit 800 yards receiving. Yes, he was behind some talented players at Alabama, but he doesn't project to be a plug-and-play star. 

Jeudy finds himself in a Denver offense with plenty of talented players (Courtland Sutton, Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay) and an unproven quarterback (Drew Lock). Lamb might start his career as the third option in the passing game behind Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup in Dallas. 

Jalen Reagor in Philadelphia is intriguing, though players like Zach Ertz, DeSean Jackson and even running back Miles Sanders will likely be prioritized over him in the passing game. Justin Jefferson should get his chances, though Adam Thielen is the top guy in Minnesota, the Vikings like to run the ball and it's fair to question if Jefferson offers the same level of deep threat that Stefon Diggs provided. 

D'Andre Swift could make some news in Detroit, though Kerryon Johnson is likely to see a big share of carries. Ditto for Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis, who will be in a timeshare with Marlon Mack. With Todd Gurley now longer in Los Angeles, Cam Akers could be a sleeper pick for this award worth monitoring. 

And Ke'Shawn Vaughn might be the starter for Tampa Bay immediately. But with Tom Brady having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard at his disposal, the Bucs may not be a run-heavy team. 

So the easy choice, and the prohibitive favorite, is Burrow. It might be best to not overthink this one.