Baker Mayfield has not only taken over the starting quarterback job for the Cleveland Browns, he has become the face of the entire city. Not only is he the face of the Browns, Mayfield has been put into the position of being the “King of Cleveland.” That role was vacated by LeBron James in NBA free agency this year.
Despite the success that he has had and how much better the Browns have looked, there are still plenty of critics who don't think Mayfield should have been drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Count former Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker James Harrison as one of those critics. He made it clear in an interview shared by 247 Sports, Harrison stated that he didn't think Mayfield should have been drafted No. 1.
“I didn’t see him as a No. 1 pick either. I think they reached a little bit. I feel like he is the best quarterback on that team right now. He’s a rookie, he’s doing rookie things right now. I think that’s just part of the growing pains you’re going to have with a rookie. I think they won a couple games with him, and all of a sudden, I think they thought that he was the second coming. That’s not the case.”
Cleveland is currently 2-4-1 on the season. They have lost a few games that they should have won, including two coming in overtime. Mayfield has been a big reason for their success, even as a rookie.
Throughout his first five games with the Browns, the 23-year-old quarterback has completed 57.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,291 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also racked up 82 yards on the ground.
While those numbers may not be superstar stats, Mayfield has shown development already. James Harrison wants to see more before he believes the young play caller can be a star.
Expect to see Mayfield continue improving throughout the remainder of the season. He may have a lot of criticism to work through, but there is no denying that he is more than capable of being the long-term franchise for the Browns.
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