ARLINGTON- The Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick. There are some concerns regarding Mayfield’s personality on and off the field. He comes with some risk and the Browns need to keep their eyes on him to avoid another Johnny Manziel situation. However, Mayfield’s abilities and stats made him the clear-cut best choice for the Browns at the number one overall pick.
That may seem audacious given the fact the Browns could have taken Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb or Quenton Nelson number one. Chubb was available at 4 and the Browns passed on him anyway. The Jets reached for Barkley since teams normally don’t take a running back so high.
Mayfield’s touchdown to interception ratio is exactly what the Browns needed to keep in mind. Mayfield threw 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. Those numbers are really good considering the Browns rarely pick quarterbacks that possess much accuracy at all.
Anyone who watched the game film saw several outstanding abilities Mayfield possesses. He has the escape ability that Tyrod Taylor possesses, he makes great throws while running which may be a necessity and he has a rocket arm like Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph.
Last night, Mayfield was compared to Drew Brees and Brett Favre. If Browns fans aren’t excited about that just because of the Manziel reminders, there is nothing that can be done about that. Fans in Cleveland understandably have trust issues but they should look beyond their concerns. Watching the game film and being aware of the stats are important. Does anyone really think the Browns will actually allow Mayfield to behave like Manziel if it is detrimental to the team and his career? It seems difficult to believe that the Browns will honestly make the same mistake twice. Chances are, if Mayfield starts to go down the Manziel path, the Browns management will move in quickly to make sure history isn’t repeated.