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The Cleveland Browns are in the prime position to get their next potential franchise quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft with either the first or fourth overall pick. Reports have swirled around Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield possibly moving up the board as a candidate to be drafted as the top overall selection by the Browns.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, one source claimed that it would be a surprise if Mayfield landed in Cleveland.
FWIW: After publishing this piece, a contrarian voice reached out to me. A source close to #Browns Dorsey felt compelled to point out that Dorsey is a big “size, speed, quickness” guy in his drafts. Says if Dorsey goes Mayfield, it would be an outlier for his preferred QB height. https://t.co/eIzk0tjWJr
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) January 29, 2018
If this is the criteria for Browns general manager John Dorsey in possibly picking their next quarterback, it would put USC's Sam Darnold as the top choice, while UCLA's Josh Rosen and Wyoming's Josh Allen both up there as well. Darnold and Rosen are regarded as the likely top-two choices at the quarterback position.
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The 22-year-old Oklahoma product has been highly praised for his accuracy and decision-making, leading many analysts to believe he can have success at the next level. Mayfield is coming off an impressive senior year where he led the nation’s most productive offense while completing 71 percent of his passes for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdown passes, earning him the 2017 Heisman Trophy award.
Mayfield has already received much interest from several NFL teams, such as the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Dolphins. Along those same lines, Saints head coach Sean Payton is reportedly a “believer” that the former Oklahoma product can be a viable starting quarterback in the NFL.
Beyond concerns about his size, there has been some uneasiness in regards to his maturity level following some questionable decision-making with his actions both on and off the field. That said, the NFL Combine and Oklahoma Pro Day will allow him to showcase his ability on the field while teams can get a feel of his personality through pre-draft interviews.
