Don’t Rule Out Baker Mayfield at No. 1
With the first pick, the Cleveland Browns select…
Those are the coveted words that will hush the boos of commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday. The name that follows that eight-word opening line is what Browns fans have all been waiting for since the miserable 0-16 season.
This morning, Adam Schefter shared a conversation he had with an NFL executive:
Amazingly enough, the Heisman winner has the brown and orange Twitter-verse buzzing yet again.
Love him or hate him, Mayfield would bring an unprecedented toughness to the Browns and Berea. He loves to win and he has made that very well known.
Mayfield has called himself the most accurate passer in this draft. The numbers don’t lie. He completed 68.5% of passes throughout his college career. In 2017, Mayfield led the country in completion percentage and pass efficiency. He’s a good decision maker.
Leadership traits and passing ability are what has kept Mayfield in the conversation at No. 1.
However, not all Browns fans are as positive about drafting Baker Mayfield.
This is due to something that can be diagnosed as “Johnny Manziel Syndrome.” Both Manziel and Mayfield are 6′ QBs, who won Heisman and played in prolific, widespread offenses. The comparison exists, but Mayfield is a much more polished player.
Bringing Mayfield to the Browns makes sense. Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton, both who Dorsey acquired, have incredibly similar play styles. Hue Jackson has expressed that Taylor will be the starting quarterback, so bringing in Mayfield to learn from a vet, who is just like him, makes a ton of sense.
If he doesn’t land on the Browns, it’s not a huge loss. While the potential is there with Mayfield, fans need to trust Dorsey and his decision. The Jets are another possible suitor with the third overall pick.
“Does he have accuracy? Does he have a strong arm? Does he win?” Dorsey asked.
Mayfield checks all of those boxes. We will just have to wait and see if he is the guy.
Image: ESPN
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