As the 2018 NFL Draft draws closer, the rumors, speculation and silly season only get more intense. As 2017 Heisman Trophy winner, Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma is now being linked to the Cleveland Browns at No.1
Per multiple media outlets, the 6’0, 220-pound signal caller out of Lake Travis, Texas is “definitely” in consideration for being taken No.1 overall by the winless Browns, with big-armed Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen being the other QB that Cleveland is leaning towards.
One day it’s Sam Darnold, the next it’s Allen and now today it’s Mayfield. Someone call Vanna White from “Wheel Of Fortune” as the proverbial letters to the draft puzzle are slowly being turned.
Where can we buy a vowel?
While some may scoff–as per the norm whenever it comes to the Browns, when picking at No.1–but whomever they pick, there is going to be more bellyaching than a Tums convention.
Darnold has ball security issues, Allen is inaccurate, Josh Rosen is fragile and Lamar Jackson is seen by critics as the next coming of Kordell “Slash” Stewart. Mayfield is “vertically challenged” as they say in PC-land, but cannot help but see that he balls out better than possibly every QB in this draft.
Production wise, he has more career passing yards (14,607) and touchdowns (131) than the closest QB in the draft, which would be Rosen at 9,341 passing yards and 59 touchdowns, and thanks to his ability to scramble and extend plays, he may be the next dual-threat quarterback.
Not as agile as Russell Wilson or having the arm strength and touch of Drew Brees—both of whom are also vertically challenged by NFL standards, Mayfield gets a lot of Johnny Manziel 2.0 comparisons due to his height and off-the-field temperament.
Bottom line, Mayfield is a proven winner, and Cleveland may need to shake things up in taking him No.1 Here’s my five reasons why.
Big Game Experience: With a resume that includes two CFP playoff semifinals vs. Oklahoma and Clemson and big non-conference wins against Ohio State and Tennessee, the spotlight isn’t too big for Mayfield. if anything, it makes him play bigger than his 6’1 stature.
Durability: Unlike Rosen, who has quite a history of injuries in his three years at UCLA, Mayfield has been pretty much injury-free as he has three years of solid production and on-field availability for GM’s to pour through. You know what the football saying is, the best ability is availability. That isn’t Rosen, and it is Mayfield to a tee.
Production: As mentioned above, Mayfield is simply the most productive QB in this class, hands down. While some may try to denigrate the conference he plays in or the system he played in down in Norman, numbers don’t lie.
Accuracy: The bane of Allen’s existence. While he and his 56.2 completion percentage hang over his 6’5 235-pound human skyscraper body, Mayfield completed 70.5 percent of his passes, best among all the potential top-five QB’s in Rosen (62.6 %), Darnold (63.1 %) and Jackson (59.1 %)
Takes Care Of Ball: Just as accuracy is Allen’s biggest bugaboo, turnovers is that of Darnold as he led FBS with 22 total turnovers. Mayfield only three six interceptions in all of 2017.
With Cleveland set to officially be on the clock in the next 48 hours, general manager John Dorsey must weight all of the variables such as height, arm strength, velocity, hand size and accuracy. Ultimately, this pick will decide the direction of the Browns for the next 10-15 years. in the case of Mayfield, Dorsey much decide between height, hype and hope while managing to find a medium between all of the three.