The 2018 NFL Draft class was lauded as one filled with franchise quarterbacks, along with a generational runningback prospect. While defenders such as Denzel Ward and Bradley Chubb are having strong rookie campaigns, the top contenders for Rookie of the Year are all on the offensive side of the ball.
New York's Saquon Barkley leads the pack, with fellow ball carriers Nick Chubb and Phillip Lindsay also performing extremely well. However, one rookie stands above the rest when it comes to team-wide impact, and that player is Browns QB Baker Mayfield. He may not be putting up record-setting stats or leading Cleveland to the playoffs this season, but he deserves Rookie of the Year nonetheless.
1. Culture Change
Mayfield's on-field performance has been very good, but perhaps the biggest impact he has made thus far has been in the locker room. For nearly 20 years, the Browns have been a “Factory of Sadness”, filled with depression and dysfunction. It was going to take a special person to change the course of the franchise, and Mayfield has already proven himself to be that guy.
From the moment he first stepped into the locker room, he has demanded respect, and his teammates have responded accordingly. He constantly draws praise in interviews for both his words and his actions. The national media has criticized him for speaking his mind too much, but Baker Mayfield is a genuine person who will not say something if he doesn't mean it.
After former head coach Hue Jackson was fired following Cleveland's blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he spent the next few days blaming his 3-36-1 record on others, not taking responsibility for his abhorrent performance as a coach.
Jackson then took a position with the rival Cincinnati Bengals, who then played the Browns, only to get thoroughly dominated. Jackson sought out Mayfield after the game, but Mayfield would only shake the coach's hand. Afterwards, Mayfield stated that he was not a fan of Jackson's move to Cincinnati, and that Jackson was “fake” during his time in Cleveland. This sparked supportive reactions from teammates and coaches, and the entire organization spent a week in solidarity the likes of had not been seen in Cleveland before. Mayfield has truly changed the culture of the Browns, and has certainly made the largest organizational impact of any rookie this year.
2. Setting Browns Rookie Records
While the Browns are just 4-7-1 and Mayfield's numbers look decent for the season, he has broken multiple Browns' passing records this season. Against the Bengals, he threw for four touchdowns, setting the Cleveland rookie record and placing him second all-time in team history.
He threw for multiple scores in five consecutive games, becoming the first Browns QB to do so since 1994, when Vinny Testaverde accomplished the feat. He threw three or more TDs in two straight games, which Derek Anderson also did in 2007. No other Browns player has ever thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in back-to-back games. Through eight starts, Mayfield ranked first in Browns rookie history in touchdown passes and fourth in yards.
Baker Mayfield is already tied for 11th in team history in touchdown passes in a single season, and still has four more games to climb up the rankings. Although his performance against Houston was not great (he threw three first-half interceptions), he still made history. With his one scoring toss, he became the the first Browns QB to throw a touchdown in nine straight games since Bernie Kosar in 1987.
His 397 yards earned him the top mark in Browns rookie passing history. 351 of those yards came in the second half, and he became the first NFL QB to throw for 350 yards in one half since Derek Carr in 2016. Those passing yards were not earned by throwing easy passes in garbage time either; he attempted the same tight-window and “dangerous” passes as he had in the first half; he was just connecting on them. Most rookies would wilt after a three-pick first half; Mayfield responded by breaking records.
Mayfield is already three passing TDs ahead of the second-place Tim Couch in the rookie record book, and trails Brandon Weeden by only 746 yards for most passing yards by a rookie. It is abundantly clear that he is the best QB Cleveland has had since Tim Couch, and that is reason for hope.
3. Returning to Respectability
The Browns have been the laughingstock of the NFL for a long time now, but that finally changed once Mayfield took over the QB job at halftime against the New York Jets back on September 20th. He responds to adversity unlike any signal-caller Cleveland has had this millennium, and no matter how the game is going, it never seems as if the Browns are completely out of it as long as Mayfield is taking snaps. Cleveland finally has its QB, and that alone has restored them to being competitive.
4. Making His Teammates Better
Baker Mayfield is not just playing well; he is also improving the players around him. The Browns' offensive line has struggled since the legendary Joe Thomas retired, but things are looking up for the group, as Mayfield has not been sacked since the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs; that's a three-game stretch, including 60 minutes against the fearsome front-seven of the Houston Texans. Mayfield is getting the ball out quickly and maneuvering around inside and out of the pocket, making life easier for his protectors.
Running back Nick Chubb has also benefited from Mayfield's success. He leads the league in yards after contact, which indicates that the offensive line is not doing the greatest job of blocking for him, but defenses now have to respect Cleveland's passing game; that wasn't the case with Tyrod Taylor at QB. Chubb has also become more involved in the passing game, catching 12 of 13 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns over the past five games.
Tight end David Njoku had a rough start to his season, but has slowly become more and more reliable. The same goes for dynamic rookie receiver Antonio Callaway. Rashard Higgins and Breshad Perriman have revived their careers as a result of catching passes from Mayfield. One of the major indicators of a true franchise QB is their ability to elevate the talent around them. Mayfield is certainly doing that.
Baker Mayfield may not have the eye-popping stats of Saquon Barkley, but he has had a much bigger impact on his team. Shouldn't that be the criteria for Rookie of the Year?
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